Dark Country: A Detective Loki from Prisoners Fan Fiction
by CountingStars29
Summary: Emma is the new girl in the small town of Conyers. As she adjusts to her new settings, she meets a mysterious man who instantly intrigues her. His name is Detective David Loki. Although Detective Loki is successful at his job, he is nonetheless a reserved and solitary man with many secrets. Will Emma be enough to get Detective Loki to open his heart?
1. Part I: Meeting Detective Loki

As I turned the corner into the aisle, I found a dark-haired, young man standing there with one hand holding onto the cart while scrutinizing some product's label with the other.

What first caught my attention about him was the large star-shaped tattoo on his neck that was partly covered by the collar of his shirt, and his slicked-back hair. He was tall at 6 feet, and slim. His clothes were rather plain, with black khaki pants, a matching black rain jacket and a light blue button-down shirt underneath that was buttoned up to the top of his neck. He wore black work boots. From the way he dressed, I gathered he was either in the construction business or a truck driver.

He seemed to be in my age group: late 20s to early 30s. I had to admit that I was instantly attracted to him. He wasn't wearing a wedding ring, much to my delight. In fact, he wore a sole ring on his left hand pinky finger with an indiscernible symbol on it. More tattoos were plastered on his fingers: tiny symbolic marks that only he could know the meaning of. If I didn't know any better, I would have assumed he came from the wrong side of the tracks.

It turned out that he was checking out the same product I was going to get. He was so focused on the bottle's label that he didn't notice my approach. My breathing became somewhat erratic as I continued to watch this handsome and intriguing stranger. Knowing this was my opportunity to make new friends with the few people of my age in this backwater of a town, I mustered up my courage and said, "I would get that one. It's a bit pricier but the quality is the best." There I said something, now I can breathe more normally.

He looked up at me with big polar blue eyes, and appeared surprised. I exhaled at the sight of those majestic eyes, which stood out from underneath black eyelashes.

I waited for him to say something, but he didn't. Either he was a mute or a very introverted person. "Hi, I'm Emma. I just moved into town," I finished saying as I extended my hand out to him.

He looked at my hand with trepidation, but then a moment of clarity must have hit him because he unrelentingly grabbed my extended hand and shook it gently while saying, "Hello. I'm David." He half-smiled. So, this guy really was shy after all, I thought inwardly.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, David," I said with the friendliest smile I could give him.

He reciprocated in kind. My train of thought was interrupted momentarily as I admired his gorgeous smile, which amplified his attractiveness. The difference between when he wasn't smiling and when he was seemed like night and day.

"Me, too," he replied with a slight nod of his head and an odd, but cute, double blink.

"I'll see you around," I said as I grabbed a bottle from the shelf like the one he'd been examining.

"Yea," he said with a sheepish grin, and another double blink. Was that a facial tic?

I walked away slowly, part of me hoping he'd call me back. But he remained just standing there silently. I could feel his stare burning a hole through me. Once I had wandered far away enough that I was completely out of his sight, I had to stop for a moment to catch my breath. He was so strange yet bedazzling. His facial tic was a little distracting, but somehow made him more interesting.

Finally I finished gathering my groceries, and was at the checkout line waiting my turn. I looked around hoping to catch a glimpse of the mysterious David. At least I got his name, I thought.

As I searched, I found him two aisles down from me. He couldn't see me as he stood with his back to me. I couldn't take my eyes off of him. At that moment the whole world revolved around him. Please look at me, I thought to myself. As he finished paying, a miracle happened, and he turned around and gazed straight at me.

He smiled at me with the sweetest smile I'd seen in a long time. I instantly smiled back and silently mouthed the word "good-bye." He nodded his head in acknowledgment and walked away with his groceries in hand.

I continued to stare at him until he had completely exited the store. "That's Detective Loki." I heard a raspy female voice say.

"Oh," I said nonchalantly as I realized that the lady in line behind me was talking to me. "So he's a cop?" I mistook him for a totally different profession, and was shocked that he was an officer of the law. He certainly didn't seem like it.

"He's the best detective in town … has never lost a case. A small town like this," the older woman said as she shook her head in disgust, "We're very lucky to have him."

"Interesting," I said as I continued to stare in the direction from which David exited the store. Detective David Loki, I mulled over in my head. The words seemed to fit together like a lock and key.

*I don't own the character of Detective Loki.*

Copyright © 2014 by the owner of

All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.


	2. Part II: Stake Out

Since first meeting David, I usually kept running into him at the same grocery store, and coincidentally on the same nights. Perhaps we were on the same schedule, I reasoned. After all, it was the only store for miles.

Unfortunately, our exchanges were generally bland. During our brief conversations, we'd either cover what was going on currently in local news or some other prittle-prattle.

He was a closemouthed man, and I could tell he detested small talk so I always endeavored to keep the conversations short. I was already giving up on this prospect anyway. I highly doubted we would ever meet outside of this situation.

On rare occasions I'd see him driving around in a black Ford Crown Victoria that was obviously a cop car. So focused was he on the task at hand that, much to my dismay, he never noticed me back. Moreover, I never saw him accompanied by anyone else. His career was unmistakably his number one priority in life.

As the months went passing by, I slowly adjusted to my new life in this tiny town. Compared to the city I used to live in, this place lacked progress, activity, and most perturbing, excitement. And the weather was depressing: it was either always cloudy or raining. It wouldn't be long before I began to question my sanity for having moved to a place like this.

At least I had a cute house, albeit small, but it was all mine. Apparently I had a cat, too. This orange cat decked out with cool-looking swirling patterns all over his coat kept showing up on my front porch. It wasn't long before I felt compelled to feed him, and so named him Ron Weasley for chits and giggles.

It was early morning when I routinely stepped outside to feed Ron. I could feel the cool crisp air, and hear the rustling of turned leaves: the first signs of my favorite season, autumn. I got so excited that I decided to hang around for a bit, and sat on the Adirondack chair to relax and enjoy the scenery. On days like this I didn't miss the big city I had left behind.

But something out of place caught my eye: a black car parked several feet down my street. I could tell from the slumped outline of a body that there was someone inside. Were they okay?

Immediately I stood up and walked to the end of the short driveway towards the street. From where I stood, I saw some movement happening inside the car, and was able to see that it was a man. He'd been hunched over the steering wheel as if he'd been dozing.

I couldn't make out his facial features since he was wearing a black watch cap that hung low just above his eyes. Except that the car was eerily familiar: it looked exactly like David's car. Stupefied and utterly curious at the same time, I decided to get a closer look at this odd spectacle. I wanted to confirm if it really was David after all.

As I gradually drew nearer, he did something unexpected: as soon as it dawned on him that I was walking towards him, he turned on the ignition and did a rapid-fire U turn. He managed to disappear within seconds in a mad dash down the street in the opposite direction.

Weird, I said to myself as I stood there in the middle of the road and probably looking like a crazy woman. Feeling disappointed and somewhat defeated, I headed back to my house to get ready to go to work.

For the rest of the week I couldn't shake off the troublesome memory of that eventful day. The relentless desire to know whether that was David grew more intense with each passing day. Needless to say, I was literally counting down the hours until I could see him again at the store, assuming he was to continue doing his shopping on the usual night of the week like I did.

But something else was occurring within me as well: I couldn't stop thinking about him even if I tried with all my strength to stop. I'd purposefully fill my schedule with all kinds of chores and tasks to distract myself, but these efforts were done in vain. His image was permanently burned to the forefront of my mind. Everywhere I went, he was right there with me.

At last, after much nerve-wrecking anticipation, the major day I'd been waiting all week for came. As I drove through the rainfall to the one grocery store near me, I mentally rehearsed over and over what I was going to say to him. I had to find out what I so badly needed to know.

I desperately searched all over for him, and grew increasingly frustrated when he was nowhere to be found. I finally gave up and left feeling let-down and very foolish. Maybe that wasn't him, after all. And even if it was, perhaps he was just doing his job and staking out the area for criminal activity.

The following morning I woke up feeling very sluggish, the kind of tired you feel after having dreamt all night long. It was still dark out, and I grumbled when I saw the time on my iPhone. It was only 4:53 a.m.! Crap, I said out loud. Now I will never go back to sleep.

Figure I might as well just stay up, I got out of bed, put on my slippers and donned on a heavy robe, and then walked over to the kitchen to brew a cup of strong coffee. I half-consciously dillydallied outside to feed Ron who wasn't home yet. Regardless, I set his breakfast on the porch's wooden floor since he was bound to come any minute now.

That's when I noticed the black car I came to recognize so well. It was parked in the same spot. He was back, and now I was beyond spooked. Unsure of what to do, I simply stood there, fixing my eyes directly at the man inside the car.

I could tell from the street lamp's illumination that he was sitting straight up in his seat, keenly observing me, too. Again he was wearing the black watch cap. Who is this? What does he want?

A part of me wanted to go straight up to him to confront him, but for some unknowable reason, I couldn't. My feet were frozen to the ground. So heavy were my legs that just taking a single step forward seemed impossible to do. And here we were just the two of us as I watched him watching me.

It seemed like an eternity had passed before I finally broke off our visual correspondence. It occurred to me that this person didn't pose any kind of danger towards me. If he did, he probably would've done something malignant by now. There were certain many opportunities to do so.

I found myself shaking and deeply unsettled when I stepped back inside the house. I covertly peeped through the curtain and saw that the car was still there. He was now looking in the direction where my house stood.

He was clearly here for me.

*I don't own the character of Detective Loki.*

Copyright © 2014 by the owner of

All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.


	3. Part III: Invitation

I turned away quickly from the curtain, and made sure that my front door was locked. I pondered what I'd do as I remembered that I had my phone set to speed dial the cops and a weighty steel bat near me, a remnant from my softball days in college.

However, thankfully nothing happened at all. It was starting to rain outside as I went about my morning routine, and despite all this I was still thinking of David. This was my new normal now. My mind wandered in all kinds of directions: I_needed _to know everything about him. Where did he come from? What are his favorite things? Does he have family? Does he have a significant other?

The more I thought of him, the more I needed to satisfy my longing to know the identity of the man in the black car outside. The constant wondering was consuming me, and the suspicion was like a fly that you couldn't squat no matter how hard you tried. I peaked through the curtain again and saw that he was still there.

In a knee-jerk motion I found myself walking through my front door despite the light rain. I was going to approach him no matter what — it was something I had to do. Acting as if on automatic, I treaded down the road looking straight ahead.

I still couldn't make out his facial features through the droplets of rain, but I could tell the stranger was staring directly at me through the wet windshield of his car. This time he didn't budge and stayed put right where he was.

Part of me was thinking I was insane for doing this. My breathing became irregular and my heart beat at a million miles per hour as I inched ever so closely to the car. Keep it together, I thought reassuring myself.

He started rolling down his window, and I gasped as the realization of his true identity hit me like a bucket of ice cold water. "David," I said in shock.

"Hello, Emma," he softly muttered with shame written all over his face.

"Can I get in?" I impulsively asked. What am I doing?

"Sure," he tersely said as he unlocked the doors.

I walked over and sat in the passenger's seat. The rain was falling down harder now. We sat in silence at first. The moment was beyond awkward, but somehow, it felt nice to have him so near. I leered in the direction of my house, and saw that it was perfectly visible from down here. "This is a good viewpoint."

"What?" He asked in confusion. "Oh," he said as he realized what I was talking about.

"So, is there something going on in my neighborhood that I should know about? I've seen you a couple times out here."

He chuckled, and rubbed his face with his hands. That's when I noticed the bags under his eyes. The smell of coffee permeated the air, and used plastic coffee cups littered the car floor. Typical cop, I thought. "Did you know you have nine registered sex offenders living within seven miles of you?" He asked with a how-could-you-not-know-this expression.

My face contorted partly out of surprise and bewilderment. "No, I didn't know that at all. Did something happen? Is that why you're casing the area?" My anxiety increased and I almost felt sick to my stomach as I imagined all kinds of hideous scenarios. Yep, that's why he was here, something bad happened in my neighborhood.

He tsk-tsked, and said with that typical double blink, "I figured you didn't know." He became quiet all over again as was customary with him. He leaned his forehead into his hand as if he were thinking really hard.

Though his dedication to his job was admirable, I felt complete empathy as I could see how physically taxing it was for him. "Are you getting any sleep?"

He turned and looked right into me with those big blue eyes, taking my breath away. He clearly had no clue the effect he had on me. "There's no time for sleep." He kept his tired gaze on me, and I couldn't pull my eyes away from his for the life of me.

"You look really tired, David. Can't they send someone else to do this?"

He smiled in a subdued manner, and began double blinking a lot. He seemed altogether too nervous as he nodded his head to the right and left in a "no" motion. "I don't want anything bad happening to you. That's why I'm here," he confessed with a deep sigh.

I looked away, in-taking all of this information. Suddenly, it all began to make sense.

"A single woman living all by herself out here with no one to look after her," he started again, "it can get very dangerous."

I giggled a bit, but stopped when I saw that he didn't find it funny at all. Clearly I was still a big city girl at heart. Feeling like a complete idiot for taking the matter more lightly than I should, I answered, "I guess I should have done my research before I moved into the area, huh?"

"Yea," he smoothly said. Much to my relief, now he was the one giggling.

His boyish smile was so nice that it made my heart practically melt, and had me feeling rather ditzy and light-headed. Don't say something stupid, I thought to myself. "You know, I don't mind you hanging around like this, nor would I mind it if you actually came up to my front door every once in a while." My face squinched at the horror of what I just said. I was clearly not thinking straight right now.

He remained quiet at first, and all along my mind was racing as I wondered what in the world he was thinking. "Listen I don't really do this," he started saying.

I interrupted him right then and there: "I know, and it's perfectly okay." He looked straight ahead at the pouring rain as he covered his mouth with his hand. I briefly gazed at the tattoo of a small cross next to his thumb and at the sole ring he wore on his pinky.

Much to my dismay, his face remained blank. His silence and mysteriousness shook me right to my inner core, and a pang of remorse overtook me. At that moment I would've done anything to better the situation."So, I was just making breakfast. Do you want to come in and have something to eat?"

He seemed very reluctant to respond, and I could tell that he was thinking things through from his inadvertent blinking. My heart started to sink as I learned that maybe I had misinterpreted things, and slowly my world came crumbling down.

But, at last, he fixated his polar blue eyes on me and answered, "Yea, I'd like that."

*I don't own the character of Detective Loki.*

Copyright © 2014 by the owner of

All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.


	4. Part IV: Enlightenment

"Here you go," I said setting the plate on the table. "Do you want coffee?"

Taking a whiff of the fried eggs and bacon, David softly answered, "Yes, please."

After pouring some coffee for him and taking my place at the table, I asked, "Does that taste good?" There was much left to be said about my cooking abilities.

"Yeah, and thank you," David answered with a genial smirk. Every time he did that the vein on the right side of his temple would pop out, an aesthetic quality that made him all the more mesmerizing.

"Can I ask, how many times did you stay out there?" I asked.

"A few times," he replied nonchalantly.

After a short pause, I very politely asked, "So, how did you know where I live?"

Laying his fork on the plate, he tentatively turned his head up, and lowly laughed inwardly. "This town has a population of less than 10,000 people. It wasn't difficult to find you. Besides, I'm a detective." He finished with a wide grin.

Well, that was obvious. Feeling outsmarted and frankly very idiotic, I could feel the blood gush to my face — and I was probably embarrassingly red as a tomato. "Oh," was all I could manage to say.

"You know, you're the talk of the town," David said taking a few sips from his coffee.

"Really?" That was an unexpected surprise. After all I was just me, and most likely the most boring person on Earth.

"Yea, everyone wants to know who's the new girl," he said matter-of-factly as he ate in methodically small bites. "So then, who is she?"

David gaped at me with a stare that had me rendered completely still. It seemed my whole existence shrunk down to those beguiling ice blue eyes — as if he could see right through me. "Where do you want me to begin? I don't want to bore you."

"You're not a bore," he said firmly. "Where are you from?" The curiosity was evident in his eyes. Never had anyone shown genuine interest in me before.

"Florida … Miami to be exact."

Seeming amused, David went on to add, "You traded the beach and sunshine for clouds and rain?"

I chortled slightly. Even I have asked myself the same question more than once. "Well, I sort of picked this place out of thin air without giving it more consideration. I literally blindfolded myself, took a map, and played eeny, meeny, miny, moe. This place was 'it.'"

At that moment I felt like an open book. Under normal circumstances all the questioning would've made me uncomfortable, but with him, things were different. I _wanted_ to tell him everything.

"Oh?" He turned his head to the side and scrunched his eyebrows, as if in deep contemplation. "Then there was a reason you wanted to leave?"

Bobbing my head in agreement, I replied, "It's a long story. One that you wouldn't want to hear."

"Enlighten me," the words effortlessly rolled out of his mouth.

It was ironic that part of me lured him here to ask him questions, not the other way around. David was exceptional at getting information out of people. Perhaps I was just a little more than willing to divulge my history since it was _him_ doing the interrogating.

Taking a deep gulp, I began: "Here's the short version. Plain and simple: I was running away from a failed engagement. It's very disappointing to have something that you've invested years into suddenly blow up in your face. Either way I was already jaded. It's hard to leave your family and everything you know behind, but sometimes it's necessary. Getting as far away as possible seemed like the best thing to do."

Mulling over what I said, David peered down to the squared pattern of the tablecloth. The trademark double blink was in full exhibition. Instantly the gloomy thought that perhaps these personal details of my past were probably scaring him crossed my mind, causing my chest to feel tight from the nervousness.

"That's …," he vexedly began before breaking off into a momentary silence. "Sorry that happened to you."

The empathy in his expression slightly put me at ease. "It's all right. I'm completely over it." Besides, I wouldn't have met _you_ if I hadn't moved here, I rashly thought but didn't say out loud.

This seemed like it was the perfect moment to turn the tables around and start asking him all the deep-seated questions I've been dying to know the answers to. Unsure of whether he would open up to me, I asked, "What about you?"

He shyly grinned, and didn't answer right away. Fidgeting in his chair, he inhaled deeply. "I've had a life quite unlike yours, Emma."

"I'd still like to know, if you don't mind. You don't have to answer if you don't want to," I said while leaning forward as if to encourage him.

"Okay," he muttered and appeared to be debating what to say next. "I grew up without ever knowing my parents or where exactly I was born. As far as I know, I always lived here."

David paused as if waiting for me to say something. When I didn't, he went on: "I went from one foster home to the next, without getting adopted. Finally when I was just 11 I was able to escape, and ended up living on the streets."

A lock of his hair got loose and hung down his indelible visage while he ran his hand through his slicked-back dark hair, as if to alleviate some of the tension. Then he looked up at me, and the pain was plain to see in his eyes. I studied his face, taking in the angles and the planes, as if to commit his image to memory. There was so much hurt and sadness reflected in those big blue eyes.

"It wasn't long before I started hanging with the wrong crowd. We did horrible things," David continued with a hint of regret in his voice. "Then the cops picked me up. I was placed in the Huntington Boys Home, where I spent the next six years until I turned 18. For a little while after turning 18 I still struggled a bit. One day I got arrested again, but this time I was given an ultimatum in the form of an opportunity. They said they could use someone like me in the police force. So, I could either join them, or end up in jail. The rest is history."

David quietly sat still after finishing his brief but onerous story. It became apparent why he behaved the way he did. His serious demeanor, his curt manner of speaking, his avid dedication to seek justice, his loneliness: it was all the by-product of his excruciatingly troubled and broken past.

Not having anything to say right away, I remained quiet for a while. His story was a lot to take in all at once, and who knows the details he might have left out. I wasn't bound to keep pressing the matter either way. At last I said, "You're very strong."

David coyly half-smiled, and sort of swayed his head. Another awkward pause lingered before any of us spoke. It seemed there was an understanding between us that didn't require any words, as if we knew each other's pain all too well.

"You should get some surveillance cameras," David said interrupting the silence, and changing the topic.

Why didn't it surprise me that he would make such a suggestion? "I'll consider that, but we don't need to get all hypervigilante here."

Laughing, he replied, "I get it …" That's when his phone went off with a standard run-of-the-mill ringtone. "I have to get this," he said pulling the phone out of his pocket, and answered with a simple, "Yeah?", while walking outside to the porch.

As I observed him from my kitchen window, I could sense a frenetic energy overcoming him. He continuously rubbed his eyes with his free hand, and was visibly disturbed by what the other person on the other line was telling him. Within a few minutes the conversation was over, and he walked back inside.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go."

"I understand," I replied, and walked outside with him.

"Can I see you again?"

The question took me completely by surprise. "Of course, but how do I get a hold of you?"

"Oh, I should've given you my number. Let me grab a pen and paper from my car." Once he was at his car, he pulled something from the glove box and appeared to be writing. "Call me, especially if there's an emergency," he added as he handed me a torn sheet of paper with his number on it. His name was distinctively written out in capital letters only.

"Okay. See you," I answered. There was no hug or any other tender gesture, just a simple longing look into each other's eyes. Then he was gone. I watched his car as it sped away into the distance until it was no longer in sight. So, this is what the promise of something good felt like. The happiness and excitement was so strong that I felt as if I were high.

I absent-mindedly turned on the TV when I was back inside, and the blaring sound of the news anchor talking interrupted my thoughts:

_Breaking News: Two little girls have been reported to be missing this morning. We're on the scene of the parents' home …_

The news anchor's voice grew distant as my mind wandered back to David, and then it hit me: the reason for his ominous phone call.

"Oh no …"

*I don't own the character of Detective Loki.*

Copyright © 2014 by the owner of

All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.


	5. Part V: New Beginning

"You sure you want to see this?" I asked David after I had finished reading the description of the movie on the DVD case. The movie (a rather dark one at that) was _Memento_, and one that I had already seen. I was worried that a thriller would be the last thing David should watch given the pressure he was facing from his job. He'd been quiet, and would say just a few sentences here and there. Even though that was a common thing with him, it was plain to see that he was busy thinking of those missing girls.

"Yeah, why?" He lowly asked while taking his seat on the couch. Tonight he was wearing a different outfit that suited him well: a long-sleeved dark grey wool sweater and navy blue jeans with brown casual boots. It was a far departure from his usual cop clothes, and yet, still all him.

"I was just asking," I impassively replied, and went to put the DVD in the player. It had been almost a week since he first came to my house, and it was comforting when he'd visit every so often. Each time I saw him was like seeing him for the first time, so elated was I to have him around.

We were gradually getting to know each other better. Honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. Given the difficulties we both went through, it was better to take things slowly. Still, I found it noteworthy that he never talked about his past again. In fact, the one time I asked to visit his place for a change, he quickly shot down the idea. David remained as much of an enigma as when I first met him.

"We can watch something else if you want," David said.

I took my place on the couch and turned on the TV. "You're my guest, so you get to decide." I smiled widely, and thankfully, he answered in kind. The last thing I wanted was for him to feel uncomfortable.

As the movie started, I found myself writhing a bit in my seat. It had been so long since I watched a movie alone with another man, and even though this wasn't a formal date, it sort of felt like it. Relax, I kept repeating to myself. Could it be that I had forgotten what to do in these situations? Maybe there wasn't anything to be done except just sit back. Through the corner of my eye I observed David, and he seemed calmer than I'd ever seen him.

I adopted his posture and laid back. Then again, it helped to stay focused on the movie instead of overly worrying about my actions.

For the most part, we watched in silence. It felt normal, though. Words weren't really necessary to enjoy each other's company.

We were halfway into the movie when he changed his position and rested his arm around the back of the couch. For some reason I tensed up. An image of a young infatuated teenage couple suddenly popped into my mind. I was a bit over my head here, or perhaps I was reading too much into the situation. I focused my attention back on the movie to erase the image of the nerve-wrecked schoolgirl.

"Come here," he softly murmured.

I turned to him to find him facing me directly. He started to pat the empty space next to him, as if motioning for me to go there. "Come closer," he said again.

My heart rate significantly went up. This was new. Gradually I slid over to him until I was in the crook of his arm. He then warmly wrapped his arm around me. I was surprised that he made such a bold move, after all, he'd been entirely too reserved before.

Nonetheless, I was still uneasy. He started to gently press his fingers into my upper arm. Did he know how nervous I was? Could he feel the persistent fluttering of my heart? I was so unsteady inside, with too many clashing emotions as hurtful memories from long ago sprung. The past is the past, I thought. David has proved his trustworthiness over and over again.

As I realized this, a calming wave came over me. Being with him felt like home. I rested my head over his shoulder, and relaxed my posture. I could hear his rhythmic breathing and feel the tightness of his muscles under his sweater. There was no other place I'd rather be than right here with him.

At that moment something changed between us. I felt something soft stroking my forehead, and realized that he was delicately pecking me with his lips while tenderly running his fingers through my hair.

A warmth spread through inside me. I wanted more of this. I peered up, and our eyes locked. We were both hesitating, but knew what was going to happen next. Part of me wished I could hold this moment for eternity as we yearningly stared into each other's eyes. I could tell from the way he looked at me that he was thinking the same as I.

He leaned down nearer to my face, and hesitated just before our lips met. He placed his finger on my bottom lip, and softly caressed it. I helplessly exhaled at his touch. He appeared unsure, but then, finally, he planted his lips on mines.

Our kiss was the most beautiful thing that had occurred to me a long time. The outside world didn't exist: all that mattered was us, right here, right now. He placed his hands on both sides of my face, and reeled his body in closer to mines, and I completely surrendered to his embrace.

However, something was off. For as much as I wanted what was bound to occur afterwards, it was simply too soon. Deep down I knew I wasn't ready. Little by little, I pulled away from his mouth. A small inkling of disappointment and unfulfilled longing hit me, but somehow I knew that everything would come in its proper time.

David didn't look annoyed or displeased in any way. On the contrary, in his eyes were complete understanding, as if he shared the same feelings I felt. He complacently returned to the position he was in before, and maintained his gaze on me the whole time. I drew nearer to him until I was leaning again into the crook of his arm.

And he held me closely as we sat peacefully in our silence for the rest of the evening.

The following morning I awoke alone in my bed, and was fully clothed. As much as I tried, I couldn't remember how I got there. I instantly got out and walked over to the living room, only to find it empty. I peeked out of my window, and didn't see David's car outside.

With a sense of nostalgia, I walked into the kitchen to brew some coffee, and that's when I found the note sitting on the table. In his peculiar handwriting in all caps, it read:

_Emma,_

_Sorry to leave without saying good-bye. I had to go to work. When you read this, please call me._

_Love,_

_David_

Urgently I went for my phone and dialed his number. In just one ring he had picked up. "Emma?"

"Yes, it's me. You asked me to call you? Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to say good morning. I wasn't sure when you'd wake up." I could hear him chuckling a bit, and the image of his boyish and amazing smile came to mind.

I giggled some and answered with a playful tone: "Well good morning to you."

"May I see you again tonight?" He asked. I heard the uncertainty in his voice.

"Yes, of course," I replied. "In fact, I was hoping you would."

"Okay, I'll see you later. Listen, before we hang up, there's something I have to let you know."

"Yeah?" I asked with deep curiosity.

"This case I'm working on … with the missing girls … I need you to be a little more aware of your surroundings from now on."

"Can I ask why?" I asked with suspicion.

"I don't want to alarm you, but people know about you … about us. I don't want anyone hurting you, and I think our prime suspect is aware of you. Just be careful, okay?"

Trying to mask the somewhat fearful emotions I felt from what he said, I cheerfully replied: "No worries, I will. You too be careful."

He giggled some. "You don't have to worry about me. Well I'll see you tonight. Bye, Emma."

"Bye." And with that our conversation was over. Despite his attempts at hiding the seriousness of the situation, I was still afraid. The possibility that I could be in danger was pretty unsettling. At least I had David.

My thoughts wandered back to the previous evening. I felt nothing but sentiments of warmth and affection as I recollected our passionate kiss. He'd been so caring and understanding. I don't know the reason, but out of the blue I began to imagine life without him. All I could see was utter sadness and desolation. There was no way I could endure a life without him.

Then I suddenly could see all too clearly, as if it were an epiphany: I was irrefutably falling in love with David.

*I don't own the character of Detective Loki.*

Copyright © 2014 by the owner of

All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.


	6. Part VI: Confession

_I'm making dinner tonight so you know. I hope you like lasagna?_

I finished texting, and hit the send button as I continued to walk about the grocery store with my cart. I was so full of glee to have David coming over again that I got the crazy idea to cook for him, and rushed to the store right after work. We'll see how this goes, I thought.

Within seconds, David answered: _Lasagna is one of my favorites actually._ One of the things I liked most about him was that he always replied quickly and not hours later, which was enough time for doubts to sink in.

_Well, don't expect anything fantastic. My cooking is pretty basic._

_You'll do fine. Can't wait to see you._

_Me too. :-)_  
_See you at 8 p.m. okay?_

_Yes. Be seeing you soon._

With that said, our digital conversation was over for now. Things between us had taken a different pace since that first kiss. We could be more informal now, and that was a good place to be with David especially considering how closed in he'd been before. Those walls were slowly starting to crumble down.

In turn, David was also teaching me how to trust again. I felt like I could be myself around him since he wasn't one to criticize or judge. That in itself was a huge feat. I was determined to never put my faith in another again, and had thrown away the key to my heart forever — until David come along. How did he manage to do this to me?

As I picked the last item on my checklist, a pang of regret pooled in my chest. What in the world was I thinking when I said I was making lasagna? Of all dishes, that one was the hardest!

I saw that there was only one other woman in the same aisle as me, one I'd never seen before. Everything about her appeared off-kilter. She had a menacing looking face, white frazzled hair, and large outdated plastic brown glasses that were obviously too big for her face. Her clothing looked antiquated, too. Her presence was deeply disturbing, and I wanted to get away from her quickly.

I was passing her when suddenly she turned to me and said: "You must be our newest resident."

Great. Now I have to talk to her. Well, just be nice. I gradually turned around and replied: "Yes, I am. I'm Emma." I didn't bother to extend my hand to her. Frankly, I didn't want to be anywhere near her.

Her smile was dreadfully inscrutable. "Holly. Holly Jones."

Her name rang a bell. Where had I heard this name before? "Nice to meet you, Holly. See you around." With that I started to walk away again at a quicker pace, but, unfortunately, she kept talking.

"You know he's a good catch."

I faced her again and gave her an inquisitive look. Now I was really perturbed and frightened. She was altogether too creepy. "I'm sorry, but I'm confused."

Again with that confounding smile that looked fake, she answered: "Why, I'm talking about Detective Loki, of course. You are dating him, right? Everyone knows about it."

I couldn't contain my laughter. It amazed me how nosy people could be. "We're close friends."

"But he's visiting you often, isn't he? Either way, I'm glad he's finally living his life again. The last girl didn't do him any good. We all think she messed him up … you know, in the head."

I was left speechless and taken aback by this revelation. First, how did she know he visited me? And second, why hadn't David told me about this past relationship? "Mmm, okay," I said as I tried to not show any emotion. My life wasn't her business.

"He's a good man, and does his job well."

I nodded my head in agreement and tried to remain straight-faced. "Well, Holly, I have to go. It was nice chatting with you."

"You must not know many people here. If you ever wish to talk to someone, you may come over to my house. I live alone with my nephew, and honestly, I could use some company, too."

Don't freak out, my inner voice said. I gulped and sighed deeply. "As nice as that offer sounds, I'm afraid I don't have that much time to spare. I'm at work during the majority of the day, and I do some freelance jobs on the side that keeps me busy in the evenings." I fibbed but so what. Sometimes a white lie was necessary, especially when you're trying to get out of a scary situation.

There was a hint of disappointment in her beady brown eyes, and her lips pursed as if she were angry. "I understand. My offer still stands if you change your mind."

Yeah, like that's_ ever_ going to happen. "Thank you, Holly." I started to walk away again, and thankfully she left me alone this time. I breathed out in relief when I was well clear of her path and had made it to the checkout line.

I hurriedly placed the groceries in my car out of the fear of running into Holly again. I was probably breaking all the speed limits, but I was too shaken up from that ill-boding encounter and just wanted to get to the safety of my house quickly.

Holly had a dark aura about her that made me almost sick to my stomach, and to think that she wanted me to visit her at her house. There must have been a sinister purpose behind that. Also her name was too familiar. I tried to remember how I knew it, but always came up blank.

At least I knew what I was going to talk to David about tonight. There was still much left to learn about him. He might as well still be a stranger.

"This tastes great. I don't know why you were worried," David playfully said as he continued to eat his meal.

"Thanks," I bashfully said as I tried not to stare at the indiscernible tattoos on both his left and right forearms. This was yet another interesting revelation that I didn't know about. He always had them covered up, but this time they were on full display since he wore a short-sleeved grey shirt. The insignificant thought that he only wore black, blue and grey clothing crossed my mind.

"So how was your day?" He asked.

"It was okay, you know, work is work," I replied. I left out my run-in with Holly on purpose for now.

He half-smiled and nodded his head. "Yeah."

"And you?" I asked.

"It was good," he tersely replied.

Of course, I thought, he's not going to talk about that case he's working on. I was getting impatient with the small talk, so I decided to just bring up what I had learned earlier from Holly. "David, have you ever been in a serious relationship?" Feeling antsy and bold at the same time, I looked straight into his eyes as I waited for his reply.

He twitched some, and sighed heavily before answering. Then he lowered his gaze and seemed to tense up. I slyly noticed that he tightened his grip on the fork he was holding. He started to bob his head in a yes motion, and said, "Yes, a long time ago."

"How long ago?"

"It's been a little over 5 years," he admitted with a shameful expression.

"Do you mind telling me about it?" Half of me felt bad for digging too much into his life. Yet, when it came to David, I was so curious that I couldn't hold back.

He rested his elbow on the table and leaned his jaw into the palm of his hand and cupped his mouth with his fingers, as if he were a replica of _The Thinker_. After a slight pause and a sigh, he answered, "I met her soon after I became a cop, and we were together for almost 3 years. I was really content with the way things were going in my life, but she couldn't handle it. The pressure of my job, I mean. That and …," his voice trailed off. He was twitching incessantly, and only calmed down some after he ran his hand through his hair. "Besides, we weren't that compatible anyway."

At seeing those apologetic and sad eyes, I conceded and didn't press on. If I had it my way I would have kept asking, but I crossed the line this time. "You don't have to say anymore. I know how that goes all too well," I remorsefully said.

"It's fine that you ask me these things," he said with a grin. "It's okay."

"That's good to know," I said with a smile.

He chuckled some and started to focus again on his dinner, and we fell into an ungainly moment of silence. My eyes lingered again on the tattoos on his forearms and the sole ring on his pinky finger, and as much as I wanted to ask him about those, I bit my tongue. I wasn't sure if he would find it offensive. Yet I hated this silence, and needed to find something to say because I knew he wasn't prone to start a conversation.

"So, I met someone new today," I said.

"Oh?," he said with curiosity in his eyes.

"Mhmm. In fact, she told me you were a good catch."

David snickered, and gave me a disbelieving look. "She said that? Who is this person anyway?"

"Her name is Holly Jones. She even invited me over to her house."

A loud clang noise instantly percolated the air when he dropped his fork on the plate. His eyes were widened in horror. With another double blink he said, "This just happened today?"

"Yeah," I said in bewilderment.

"And you've never seen her before?" He was operating in a different mode now, one that I had consistently seen in most cops.

"I've never seen her before in my life."

His expression changed to one of frustration, and he again cupped his hand over his mouth — something I figured out he did as if by reflex when he was ill at ease. "She's the prime suspect's aunt," he blurted. He was so distressed that he almost started turning red in the face.

It dawned on me why Holly perturbed me so much, and how I recognized her name. I most likely had read about her in the paper somewhere. Keeping up with the news was the only way I could know what was going on as David wouldn't talk about the case.

"What did she say to you?" David asked.

"Not much. She talked about you, and then invited me over to her house. That's it."

"She didn't say anything else?" He asked incredulously.

"Well, she knows you come here," I admitted.

He sighed deeply again and rubbed his eyes while shaking his head as if he were disappointed. "Stay away from her. Even if you run into her again, just avoid her … at all costs," he added as if to emphasize his point. "I don't trust her."

"I wasn't going to actually visit her so you know. She creeps me out."

"Yeah, I don't know about her, either. Next time you run into someone you don't know, please tell me. There are few people here so it's likely you'll come across the wrong person. At this point, everyone is a suspect."

"Okay, okay …," I said feeling like a child being scolded. "Calm down."

He got very serious for a minute, but then out of the blue bursted out with a laugh. "I know I can be overbearing sometimes. Sorry."

I couldn't help but to laugh, too, despite the seriousness of the situation. He was absolutely right, and I was going to take his advice in earnest. Without saying anything else we finished our dinner in a short while, and watched a (light-hearted this time) movie afterwards.

By the time the movie was over I was beyond tired. I never could understand how David could sleep so little.

"I guess it's time to say good-bye," he said in a forlorn tone.

"It's so late, you might as well stay."

His eyes narrowed, and he seemed confused. "Well if it's fine with you …" He paused for a second, and then added: "I'll sleep on the couch."

"It's not a big deal, really." I went and grabbed him some pillows and a blanket, and made a makeshift bed out of the sofa.

"Thanks," he said.

"No problem. Well, good night." I turned to go to my room when suddenly I felt him grabbing me by the elbow and pulling me back. Our eyes locked, and he leaned down to kiss me. He didn't go about it as if he were desperate, but went slowly, taking his time to explore my mouth. It felt incredibly nice.

"Night," he said afterwards while stroking my cheek, then, being the gentleman that he is, went back to the couch.

Reluctantly I treaded back towards my bedroom. How could I walk away after_ that_ kiss? Alas, I found myself in my bed, alone, and too wired to sleep because I kept dwelling on the fact that he was just a couple of feet away. I tossed and turned, tried counting sheep, and none of it worked.

An hour must have passed by before I finally decided to get up. I found myself heading back to where he was, and hoped he was having the same issue as me. There was only one way I could sleep.

It was dark, but the light from the streetlamp outside illuminated the room just enough that I could see where he was. "David?"

"Yeah?"

"You can't sleep, either."

"Nope."

"Then enough of that, and just come with me," I said extending my hand out to him.

He sat up, and though I couldn't make out his exact expression through the darkness, I could tell what he was thinking. It wasn't long before he accepted my hand and let me lead him into my room. We stood across the bed, just pondering each other and holding back what was going to imminently happen as much as we could.

Gradually he approached me and pulled me closer to him. We kissed once more, this time he did so hungrily. But then the unexpected happened. He pulled back and uttered, "Wait …"

"Wh-what?" I could feel him slightly shaking as he wavered before saying anything else.

After a moment, he softly spoke: "I've never loved anybody or anything as I do you."

*I don't own the characters Detective Loki and Holly Jones.*

Copyright © 2014 by the owner of

All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.


	7. Part VII: Surrender

"You really mean that?" I asked in disbelief. Did I hear right?

"Yes," he replied.

I wrapped my arms around him, and held him close. "I feel the same way."

He grinned, and kissed me. His hands started to roam around my back, and all the while I groped his chest. A soothing heat rushed through my body, while my mind and heart raced. Whatever he was doing to me was inexplicably sublime.

It wasn't long before we were both completely undressed. For a short moment we gazed at the contours and lines of our bare bodies, and my breath was taken away as my eyes glossed over his muscular arms and chest. He looked as if he were carved from stone — he was perfect.

I wrapped my arms around him and so did he to me, and at a patient pace he caressed my neck with his lips and glided his hands over the skin of my back. His touch shook me to my core, and made me realize how much I had really wanted this.

"I haven't done this in a while," he whispered against my ear while holding me in the cage of his arms.

"I don't care about that," I replied. I leaned up and kissed him. Taking his hand in mines, we walked to the bed.

Having him so near with the weight of his body over mines felt right — I wouldn't trade this moment for anything else. Slowly and ever so delicately, he stroked and lightly pecked the recesses of my body as if he were more concerned about pleasing me than himself. My hands found their way to his slick, dark hair and ran through it.

Then, he clasped my hand tightly in his and intently gazed into my eyes as if seeking permission. I responded by pulling his body closer to mines and kissing him with all my might.

Nothing was forced or rushed: he was tender and overly considerate. There was a profound correlation between us as if we were two halves of the same pair, and it dawned on me that this was meant to be. All the experiences of our lives led to our paths crossing each other in some strange twist of fate. And though I didn't know what the future held for us, I knew with certainty that there was no going back.

Something was softly touching my cheek, and when I opened my eyes I found David hovering over me. "Morning," he murmured before kissing me.

He looked achingly attractive with his disarrayed hair as strands got loose and fell down his face. "Good morning," I answered with a grin. I reached my hand up to his disheveled hair and finger-combed back. "How long have you been watching me?"

"Only a few minutes. You smile when you sleep," he said with wonder in his eyes.

Oh, I could think of a perfectly good reason for that, I thought with a smug grin. As the early morning sun started to brighten the room, I could better distinguish his numerous tattoos. He had more plastered on his chest, and all of them were symbols that were new to me. The one on his left foreman seemed to match the same marking that was on his ring.

Once more my curiosity got the best of me. "David, what does that on your ring mean?" I asked as I took hold of his hand and examined the image of what looked like a compass with a G in the middle.

He snickered and took in an audible breath. "I thought everyone knew what that stood for." He paused, and I shrugged my shoulders in response. "This is a Freemason ring," he continued. "It's the Square and Compasses which is their symbol, and the G stands for God."

"You're telling me that you're a Freemason?" I asked with a how-can-that-be-possible look.

He smiled widely and got red in the face. "Yeah."

I twisted my lips in a tight line as I became utterly dumbfounded. That was a big surprise. "Since when?"

"Since I got into the police force. I'm not allowed to talk about it. I hope you can understand," he said matter of factly.

"Hmm," I uttered while contemplating that blindsiding notion. David never ceased to amaze me.

"You don't have anything against that, do you?"

I nodded my head no. "I don't know enough about it to have anything against it. Only that they're very secretive, which I think is sort of funny. I just didn't expect it, that's all."

"Why do you find it funny?" The curiosity in his eyes were plain to see.

"It's the irony of it. In this day and age, nothing is secret anymore. Everything is on the internet. I mean, you're on Facebook, right? Then anyone can find you, not that I've checked," I stated.

With a scoff, he said in a tone that implied annoyance, "I'm not on Facebook, or any other social network. I don't have time to screw around like that."

That actually made absolute sense. "It's Saturday," I started in an effort to change the subject. "Do you have to work today?"

"I'm not scheduled to come in, but if something comes up, then I'll have to go," he replied with a rather doleful expression.

The thought that I had him all to myself for a whole day excited me. "Ooh, we should go out."

He chuckled at the idea. "There's not much to do around here, unfortunately."

I recalled a conversation we had about two weeks earlier where I asked him to take me to his place, and he adamantly said no. The errant thought that I could try asking again crossed my mind. The timing seemed right anyway. "Well, we could always go to your place for a start. I haven't been there yet."

He giggled and said, "You're not giving up, are you? There's not much to see really."

"And your point is?" I said with some of my big-city-girl attitude.

He double blinked a few times, and fell into deep thought. "Fine. I'll take you there if that's what you really want."

Finally. Where he lived and especially how was something I wondered about constantly.

"So, let's eat something first and then go to your place afterwards. I'm famished."

"Sounds like a good plan to me."

His apartment was small, probably not more than 700 square feet. It's cramped size wasn't what stunned me, it was the immaculate cleanliness and organization all throughout. Not even I was that organized. There also weren't many pieces of furniture, one small TV, and absolutely no decorative items, not even one picture.

"Told you it wasn't much," he lowly said with that trademark double blink.

I continued to walk about, taking in every nook and cranny. His bed was flawlessly made, with a simple blanket and two pillows. I could see that the closet door was open, and in it his clothes were grouped in like colors which were few: only blue, black and grey like I had figured. Shirts went with shirts, pants with pants and so on. It was cruel to think it, but I had a small suspicion that maybe he was OCD. But what did I know and who was I to judge? Either way it didn't make a difference to me.

"It's quaint," I said.

He didn't utter a word for a minute or two, and all the time I wondered what was going on in his mind. "I really only come here to sleep. This case has me working at all hours." He shook his head with displease.

"I heard on the news the other day that there was a possible new suspect. I saw the sketch," I replied as we went to sit on the only couch he owned.

"Yeah, I noticed him at the vigil for one of the girls. He ran away from me as soon as I started to approach him."

Astonished that he was actually talking about the case, I pressed on: "Do you at least have an idea of who he is?"

"Not yet. I mean, we've aired that portrait of him on TV, but that's it. Hopefully someone out there will recognize him and soon," he said looking slightly defeated.

"You'll find him. You always do," I said putting my hand over his. He sat still and didn't say anything. I suppose he wasn't that good at taking compliments.

"On top of that, one of the fathers doesn't think I'm doing a good job. He's always on my case. It's just one more thing to worry about."

"Well, you can't be everywhere at once. You're giving it your best."

"Yeah, but I wonder if it's enough," David answered with a frustrated expression. He started to rub his eyes, something else I had noticed he did when something was bothering him.

"Just keep doing what you do, and everything will work out in the end."

Fortunately, after I said that, he eventually loosened up. "So, did you have any specific plans for today?"

"I do need to go shopping for clothes badly, but that can wait. I just want to spend the day with you."

He withdrew into himself again and appeared to be in deep thought. If only I could read his mind. "There's the Value Mall. That's pretty much the only decent place here to get clothes. Or you can go to the town next door."

"I'd rather not do that all that driving. That's too far away."

"Then you'll have to settle for the Value Mall," he said as he ran his fingers through his hair. "I should've asked: do you want something to drink? There's not much. I know we already had some but maybe coffee?"

"Sure, I'm still pretty tired anyway." The previous night was long, I mischievously thought to myself as I reminisced over what happened between David and I. I must have been grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

He walked over to the small kitchenette. It was so tiny that it would be crowded with just two people in it. A few minutes must have passed by when his phone suddenly started to ring. "Detective Loki," he answered. He turned to me and when our eyes locked he retreated out of my sight behind a portion of wall that stood between where I was and the kitchenette. "When did this happen? …Okay … okay … I'll be there in a few minutes … Fuck."

He came out from behind the wall and approached me. "I'm so sorry, but I just got called from the department. I got to go."

"Well, that's a shame," I said feeling let down. Just when I thought I could spend a whole day with him, this had to happen. There's always something.

"I'm off tomorrow," he said.

"It's fine. Whenever you can." In a matter of minutes we were back at my house. "See you," I said as I opened the car door.

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

I turned around, and leaned over to kiss him. "Bye."

"Maybe I could stop by tonight?"

I nodded yes. Why did I feel like crying? I stayed to watch him leave until he was no longer in sight. Feeling entirely too crushed, I slowly walked back to the house. Ron was laying on the porch floor, and didn't even acknowledge my presence. "Cats," I said shaking my head.

The empty house made me even more depressed. I wasn't capable of spending the entire day alone; I was too out of sorts. So, I grabbed my car keys and headed over to that Value Mall place to do some serious shopping.

I parked my car, and had made it halfway to the store's entrance when I passed by a young, gangly man who was placing stuffed shopping bags onto the back seats of his car. Then, he walked over and popped open the trunk, where inside of it there was a rectangular-shaped black lock box. The entire scene was all too strange and had me deeply curious.

I slowed my walking pace to better observe what he was doing. At last he stood up, and I was better able to get a good look at his face. In that instant I felt a sickening despair overcome me as something registered in my mind. _That face …_

That face was the same one as the criminal sketch of the new suspect in David's case.

*I don't own the character Detective Loki.*

Copyright © 2014 by the owner of

All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.


	8. Part VIII: Face-off

I hurriedly started to return to my car while I kept a watchful eye on the man. I suppose I was acting unconsciously, but something in me compelled me to track him wherever he went. The most logical solution was to call David and give him the man's plate number, and leave it at that. Even so, the idea of seeing this man drive away to who knows where didn't sit well with me. Just don't lose him, I kept thinking.

As he drove out of the parking lot, I began to follow him. To not rouse any suspicion, I let a car remain in between us as we got on the highway. Surely he wouldn't be able to see me that way. When he took the ramp to get off the highway, I pulled out my phone and dialed David's number.

"Hey, Emma," David answered.

"David, I found the same guy from the criminal sketch. I'm 100% sure it's him. I'm following him as we speak," I rapidly said.

"What?! No, don't follow him," David barked with an audible distress in his tone. "Just give me his license plate, and I'll handle it from there. Don't chase him."

I complied and gave David the plate number. In spite of this, and partly because I wasn't really thinking things through, I continued to go after him.

"Stop following him, Emma," David ordered.

"Okay," I meekly said. I heard the click on the other line, and imagined David rushing to come after this guy, too. That was when I noticed that the man was pulling into a desolate area with abandoned warehouses. In its heyday this zone was probably bustling with industrial activity.

I was still several feet behind when he pulled into the last warehouse at the end of the dirt-covered path. I stopped dead in my tracks, and sat still in my car while I closely watched him. He swiftly got out and went to his trunk, and removed the lockbox. I idly wondered what was possibly inside that lockbox, and had a spine-chilling suspicion of what its contents were. I shuddered as I thought of those girls.

Soon thereafter, he walked towards the warehouse, and was no longer within my line of sight. Okay, what next? I questioned myself. What do I do now? I didn't want to leave, but yet, I didn't want David to know I lied to him and chased the suspect to this forsaken place. I had no other choice, though. With my phone in hand, I texted David to let him know where we were.

_He's in an area where there are deserted industrial warehouses. I don't know the exact address, but there are dirt roads and it's right off of highway exit #44._

David's reply was instant: _How do you know that? You kept following him, didn't you?_

_Sorry, but I didn't want him to escape. Are you on your way?_

_Yes. I know where that place is, but you must leave for your own safety. Please._

I didn't reply. I held steadfastly to my conviction and decided to stay whether I was going to regret it later or not. What if this guy leaves by the time David arrives? Someone had to keep an eye out on him. So, I patiently waited.

Within a matter of minutes, I heard a third car creeping up as it parked behind mines. I saw from the rear-view mirror that it was David. He was honing in on me. Bracing myself for the inevitable confrontation, I lowered my window.

"What the hell are you doing?" David sternly asked as he stood with his arms crossed.

Trying to find a quick surefire answer, I replied, "I didn't want him to get away, so I stayed to keep you updated. He's inside that last warehouse down there."

The disappointment was visible as he squinted his eyes in horror and rubbed his face with his hands. "Don't you realize the potential danger you're putting yourself in? Geez, Emma."

"What can I say? I'm just …," the words escaped me as I saw from the corner of my eye that the man was returning to his car. "David, look," I said pointing. The man still hadn't noticed us, thankfully.

David quickly turned to look at the man, and his expression faded into one that people get when they're having deja vu. "Leave, Emma. Go home." Those were the last words he uttered before he pulled out his gun and sprung into a rapid run towards the suspect. "Hey!" David shouted.

The man's eyes widened in shock when he saw David, and he rushed to his car to make a run for it. I held back as I became immobilized by the exasperating occurrence being played out before me.

"Don't move or I'll put a fucking bullet in your head!" David yelled, but the man didn't listen and got into the driver's seat of his car. "Get out of the fucking car!" David stood outside the driver's window with his arms forward as he aimed the gun towards the man's head.

David clenched his teeth and beamed with seething anger. I had never seen him this way, and, frankly, it was jarring. He was a completely different person. While still pointing the gun at the man, David managed to open the car door and pull him out in a single breakneck move.

The suspect started to punch back, but David bested him and hit him on the side of the face with his gun. The man fell face first onto his stomach to the ground and instantly the blood gushed forth from his forehead from the blow David had given him. He seemed to be half conscious as he tried to wobble his way back on his feet, but David immediately crouched over him and pinned him down.

"Don't fucking move," David repeated while holding the gun against the man's temple. Then David grabbed hold of the man's left arm and jerked it around his back. The man let out a howling cry of pain. "I'll shoot you right now if you don't stop fighting back."

"What have I done?" The suspect questioned.

David cynically laughed. "Why did you run away from me?"

"I've never seen you before," the man replied.

"Oh yeah?" David pulled the man's arm some more, and again the man screamed. "Now do you remember?"

"Okay, okay," the man conceded.

"Get up," David demanded as he stepped off the man and pulled him upwards. David careened the man towards the car, and slammed his body against it. Then he proceeded to handcuff the suspect. David wouldn't take his eyes off of me as they both walked back in my direction. I slumped down in my seat as a child would do after having done something wrong.

Once David put the suspect in the back of his car, he approached me again. He still had that look of rage in his eyes, and he was panting from the exertion he'd just experienced. "Why didn't you leave?"

"I …," I began, but couldn't seem to finish my train of thought. The person in front of me didn't seem like the one I came to know so well.

Displeased, he shook his head. "Just go home, okay. I'll stop by tonight." Then he stomped back to his car, and quickly drove away with the suspect in tow, leaving me in my solitude to mull over the day's chaotic happenings.

David arrived much later than usual that night. Although he greeted me with an affectionate hug, his demeanor was grave, and he wasn't acting like himself. He directly went and sat on the couch with his body leaning forward and his elbows on his knees. Relaxed was the last thing he was right now.

"Are you okay?" I was well aware that he wasn't but still asked anyway.

"Sit down. We need to talk," he muttered.

"What's up?" I asked after taking my seat.

"There's something I have to tell … something you don't know about me."

**I don't own the character Detective Loki.**

Copyright © 2014 by the owner of

All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.


	9. Part IX: So we beat on

_**"So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past."**_

I inhaled deeply as if mentally preparing myself for whatever David had to say. My memory went back to when he told me about himself. What more could he possibly have to add? "Okay, I'm listening," I answered.

"If you're unwilling to keep seeing me after I tell you this, I will understand," David said as he peered down while he twirled his ring around his pinky.

I remained quiet. I was imagining the worst of scenarios, and couldn't fathom what was so wrong that I wouldn't want to see him anymore, which was already something impossible for me to do.

He looked up at me with those gentle, apologetic blue eyes, and softly admitted: "I am a recovering heroin addict."

I cringed, and in an unconscious move firmly tightened my grip on the edge of the sofa. How can that be? This was all too unbelievable and surreal, and definitely unexpected. I didn't even know what to say.

"What are you thinking?" David earnestly asked after a short pause.

I turned my eyes to the carpeted floor while I contemplated what he just told me. Why hadn't he admitted this earlier? I was completely dumbfounded, not knowing what to make of the situation. I've never known anyone who was addicted to drugs, at least not in my immediate family or circle of friends. I've heard stories, of course, but it never hit so close to home like this. "Why did you wait to tell me this?"

Appearing remorseful, he lowered his gaze. He was blinking profusely, and then it dawned on me that perhaps his facial tic was a leftover effect from prolonged drug use. "I never assumed that we would become as close as we did so, I didn't see the need to tell you something so personal."

His face drew into a long, sad expression, and it was apparent how much courage it took for him to fess up. His inner struggle was evident in his eyes, and for once, he looked unequivocally broken. I realized that the self-control he exhibited was all just a facade. The truth was that he was fighting an invisible yet formidable enemy, one that could rear its ugly head again at any moment.

"When was the last time you used?"

"When I was 20 … 13 years ago," he said, still maintaining his gaze low and away from me.

He was utterly suffering from this wrongdoing, I could tell. The more I observed him, the more I understood that this struggle was all-consuming. So many questions raced through my mind, but the most confounding thing was that I wondered how he managed to get through it all, especially if he did it alone with no one's help - and that genuinely broke my heart. I put my hand under his chin and gently turned his face to mines."Look at me. Don't be ashamed. I'm still here."

He remained frozen for a moment, as if he couldn't comprehend anything of what I just said. I sensed that he was still trying to keep himself under control to hide what he was truly feeling. It wasn't in his nature to show any kind of emotion. Then, suddenly and so uncharacteristically, he completely let go.

All the years of torment and shame rampantly streamed down his face in the form of tears. He shivered and labored to breathe steadily. Here was before me a grown man, who seemingly had total command of everything in his life, now falling apart.

I reeled in closer and let him repose his head onto my shoulder whilst he tightly grabbed hold of me with both arms. "I never wanted you to see me like this," he uttered.

"It's okay," I replied. "That's the last thing you should worry about." And so I patiently kept on comforting him. In the end, it was all I could do for him: be there during the hardest times.

An eternity must have gone by before he managed to compose himself again. When he fixated his blue eyes onto mines again, I could see the pain of the past still reflected in them. "This is a battle I fight every day," he confessed. "Some days are worse than others."

"How were you able to quit? Did you even get help?"

"When I joined the police force, that's when I was able to turn my life around. When I told you I was a Freemason …," he stopped briefly, like he was recalling certain memories. "You see, these cops, they're the only family I've ever had. They took me in without judgments and gave me a chance. They saw in me what nobody else did. That's why I stay loyal to them because they were loyal to me first."

"So, when did this all begin?" I knew I was yet again asking him difficult questions that triggered harrowing memories, but this was a puzzle that I needed to solve to make sense of it all. Above all, I needed to understand him.

"After I left the Huntington Boys' Home. I was out on my own, and eventually went back to the things and the only people I knew. It didn't take much for me to start shooting up," as he said this he did his signature move of running his hand over his face and cupping it over his mouth.

I bobbed my head in disgust, not of him but of what he went through. It was entirely unfair. Perhaps the saying was correct: it rains the hardest on those who deserve the sun. "So, what do you do now? I mean, to keep the urge at bay?"

He snickered a bit, then said, "I still go to the Narcotics Anonymous meetings whenever I can. That, and, I have my fellow Freemasons for support. Like I said, some days are worse than others. I'm not going to lie to you: Every day I think about using again. Like lately ...," he nodded his head as if he were annoyed. "Lately it's been tough. I've never faced this much pressure in a case. Today was the worst of them all."

My eyes widened in horror. "What happened?"

"That suspect, his name was Bob Taylor," he said. I instantly picked up on his use of the past tense. "He killed himself today … under my watch." He slouched back into his seat in defeat. "I've failed everyone."

"No," I blurted. "No, you have not. I wasn't there, but I'm sure it wasn't your fault, and there was nothing you could've done to prevent it. You shouldn't say such things about yourself."

"Oh, but it could have been prevented," he replied as he zoned out momentarily and stared at the wall in front of him.

"Why are you so harsh with yourself?," I asked as I peered at him with my I-don't-understand look. "Don't you know that you're everything good and wonderful that could've happened to me?"

After I said that, he quickly snapped out of his trance and glanced back at me with a surprised expression. Then that look morphed into one of disbelief. "I can't imagine being anything good for anyone."

"Well, you are to me," I started to say. What words could I say that would adequately describe how I feel for him? I wondered. And what I felt was altogether too strong for me to abandon without regret. "I now know that I want you in my life every day, in every moment, for as long as I'm still alive."

*I don't own the characters Detective Loki and Bob Taylor.*

Copyright © 2014 by CountingStars29

All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.


	10. Part X: Tip-off

When I awoke I found David sitting with his body hunched forward on the edge of the bed. He'd been intently staring at the floor, and from his occasional blinking, it was apparent that he was processing something in his mind. He also appeared to be shaking a bit. I reached up and glided my hand over his bare back to jar his attention. "Good morning."

He turned his head sideways and looked at me from the corner of his eye. He gloomily and with little enthusiasm replied, "Morning."

"Is something bothering you?"

He pursed his lips, and made a fist of his hand as he rested his head on it. "Work issues."

As I recalled his story from the night before, I got the feeling that this wasn't all that was plaguing him. "Don't dwell too much," I advised for what it was worth. "I know what you're going through is stressing you out, but don't internalize it."

"That's easier said than done," he said as he squinched his eyebrows together. "Everything is always so hard for me."

"It doesn't hurt to at least try," I said. "It's difficult, but you always have me. Sometimes a listening ear is all one needs." He looked back at me with a faint smile, then turned his eyes again to the floor. My eyes wandered to the prominent tattoo of the 8-pointed star on his neck. I tried to discern the symbol inside the star, but the ink had long faded. "Can I ask you a question?"

Seeming perplexed, he nodded yes.

"That tattoo …," I said running my finger over the outline of it. "Is it supposed to mean something?"

With a slight grin, he said, "I was a teenager when I got it. It's the Star of Ishtar. She's the Babylonian goddess of war and love." His grin became wider now, and he scratched his head a bit. "I was into mythology and that kind of stuff when I was kid. Like these Zodiac symbols on my fingers," he said now holding his right hand flat out before me.

"That's cool," I replied while imagining a younger version of David reading stories like _The Odyssey_. Perhaps it was a way of escaping reality, and I couldn't blame him one bit. "So, you have the day off today, too, right? Unless you have something else to do, I think we should get away for a while and drive to the next town. I still haven't had a chance to do some shopping, anyway. Something always keeps coming up."

"Yeah, and I don't expect to be called in today," he said as he put his shirt back on. "That kid, Alex Jones, he's still missing but there's not much I can do about it for now."

"Exactly," I said affirming his train his thought. "You know, I was serious when I told you last night that I wanted you to move in."

He didn't immediately say anything and didn't show any kind of emotion or hint of one. I always got nervous when he reacted like this: it was as if he blanked out or altogether stopped thinking. It reminded me of the hollowness one feels like when they're about to lose something, and can't do anything about it. "It's been a few years since I've lived with someone," he finally said.

"I know you're used to being on your own, but if it makes you feel better, it's been a while for me, too," I said. "Just think about it. There's certainly room in this house for one more."

"I think you'd find living with me to be quite interesting," he snorted.

"You say that like you're a monster or something," I replied with a titter. Again with the blank stare, he turned up the corner of his mouth and shrugged his shoulders. "Tell you what, decide by the end of the week. If by then you still haven't made up your mind, then we can let it go. Does that sound like a deal?"

He bobbed his head in agreement. "Yeah."

Inside I felt like a cheerleader jumping up and down with pom-poms and chanting some upbeat anthem. "Good," I said with a smile before I kissed him. He surprised me when he lowered his body onto mines, and held my arms up over my head.

"You're not in a hurry, are you?" He playfully asked as he softly grazed my neck with his lips.

In a broken voice in between giggles and spoken words, I said: "We have all the time in the world."

***  
"Whew, it's cold," I uttered while blowing air into the palms of my hands to warm them some. Of course, it didn't work. We'd just arrived at the shopping mall in the closest town, which was only slightly more populated. At least it appeared to have more action and scenery.

"This isn't Miami," David cheerfully said. "And that sweater won't hold you for long. Here, wear this." He took off his hooded black coat and wrapped it around my shoulders.

"Aren't you going to be cold now?" I asked looking at his thin long-sleeved black sweater.

He scoffed and said, "I'm used to it."

Inside the mall looked like any run-of-the-mill small-sized commercial shopping mall. Still, it was definitely not like the ones I was used to back home. David put his hands in his pants' pockets, and looked all about at his surroundings, similar to the way a tourist would if they were visiting a place like New York. "When was the time you were here?" I asked.

"Uh," he hesitated. "I don't know, maybe when I was 10 or 11?"

"That's a long time," I said in retrospective. "You don't get out much, do you?"

He double blinked once and turned his gaze down. "I know, I need to get a life," he said with a smirk. "I just work all the time."

"Hey, you do have a life, okay? Lots of people care for you," I said as I grabbed his hand in mines and held it.

So, we carried on. The stores didn't carry exactly the kind of clothing I preferred to wear, but it was all good enough. It's not like I had many choices anyway. I gravitated towards the jackets and coats first as I didn't own anything useful for the cold weather. It never got this cool down in South Florida. "You're not going to get anything for yourself?" I asked David when we were waiting our turn in the checkout line.

"Nah," he said as his eyes glazed over the various trinkets and charms inside the glass display. "Actually," he said now turning to one of the salesclerks behind the counter. "Can I take a closer look at that bracelet over there?"

The salesclerk obliged and opened the glass display, and pulled out a golden bracelet with two interlinked hearts. David examined it closely, then, he grabbed my wrist and wrapped the bracelet around it. What was he doing? "You can get it engraved, too. Most couples put their initials over the hearts," the clerk said.

"Um," I unsurely said as I pondered the piece of jewelry.

"You don't like it?" David asked.

"It's not that, I do like it, but are you sure about this?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" He asked with a raised brow. He reached around and pulled out his wallet. "Let me give you this gift."

"Well, thank you," I said. You can't get anymore official than this, my inner voice let me know.

Once we had paid for our things, we continued to walk around some more in the mall. This could've felt more normal except that it was the first time I'd gone out with David to a public place. He must have felt that way, too, especially since it seemed like he hadn't gone out just for pleasure in a while.

"Would you like to have lunch here?" David asked.

"You read my mind," I replied.

As we turned the corner to head over to the food court, the figure of a small woman walking towards us amongst the crowd caught my attention. As she got closer to us, I was able to make out her thick glasses and frizzy grey hair that was pulled back into a bun. I tensed up and could feel my heart palpitate as soon as I realized that it was none other than Holly Jones. "David," I said pulling his arm.

"Yeah?" He followed my gaze, and soon saw Holly, too. "Shit!" He uttered. "What is she doing here?"

"Do you think she saw us?"

"Probably," David said with a disappointed look. "Let's act like we didn't notice her."

But it was evident that she had already noticed us. She was looking straight ahead at the both of us with a defiant, and irritating, smirk plastered across her face. "Detective Loki," Holly exclaimed once she was standing across from us. Her eyes went down to our intertwined hands.

"Hello, Holly," David said with a straight face.

"Emma, it's so good to see you."

"You, too, Holly," I said with a gulp. That was the biggest lie I had told in a long time.

David suddenly moved his position and stood in front of me, blocking my sight of Holly. "You doing some shopping, Holly?" David interrogatively asked. I stood on my tiptoes to look at Holly from above his shoulder. She was stern and stood with her arms folded across her chest. In all, Holly did not seem pleased to see us.

"Yes, that's right, for both myself and my nephew. I'm sure he'll turn up any minute now, don't you think, detective?" Holly asked in a cynical manner.

"We're all working hard to find him," David said.

"It certainly doesn't look like it," Holly said as she glanced at me. David pulled me further in behind him with his arm. He was so tall that now all I could see was his back.

"Hey," David started and raised one hand towards Holly. "There's no need for that attitude."

"Attitude? I'm just calling it the way I see it," Holly replied. Vexation reeked from her tone.

"We're trying to enjoy ourselves some. There's no need to ruin each other's day. I suggest we keep moving along, and forget about this. Okay?" David finished saying.

"Oh, is that what you think I should do, detective?" Holly sarcastically asked. "You're not the one who has to go home to find that the only family you have left is missing."

"Mrs. Jones," David said now getting more formal with Holly. "I'm working furiously to find Alex. Maybe he ran away. All I can tell you is that you need to have some patience. I've checked out every source that could possibly be involved. Just let me do my job. He's not the only one who is missing."

I silently cheered for David as he told it like it is. What did Holly think: that her nephew was the only important person in this case? The lives of two little girls were also at stake here.

I could hear Holly taking in a deep breath before she answered in that unwavering voice of hers, "Alex wouldn't run away. Look harder, detective. Maybe if you do that, you'll be able to find those girls quicker." With that, Holly started to walk away from us.

I recoiled in distaste at Holly's mention of the girls. That she was the one talking about them made the situation all the more disgusting. "Ooh, I can't stand her," I cried out as I stepped out from behind David. He, in turn, looked pensive and deeply lost in thought. "Is everything okay?"

"Uh, yeah," he said with a nod of his head as if he were trying to snap back to reality. "Didn't you catch that?"

"What do you mean?"

"She said 'look harder'," David said as he pinched his brows together and blinked a lot: a sure tell sign that he was analyzing something in his mind.

I didn't see the connection. "I don't think she meant anything by that other than the obvious."

He shook his head, and replied, "No, she was trying to say something. People don't just say things like that out of the blue."

"What are you trying to say?"

After a brief pause, he added at last: "She told me once that her husband walked off one day and never came back. The priest had the dead body of a supposed child killer in his basement. Bob Taylor kept drawing an indiscernible maze before he shot himself. There has to be a connection somewhere here between all these …" David's words trailed off as he withdrew into himself again.

"Um, David?" I called out as I tried to grab his attention by tugging slightly on his arm. "Let's grab some lunch, okay?"

"No, we have to get back. I think I know who has those girls."

*I don't own the characters Detective Loki and Holly Jones.*

Copyright © 2014 by CountingStars29

All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.


	11. Part XI: Together

The thunder boomed fiercely outside as we sat in the prosaic Chinese restaurant for dinner. "I come here every so often. You'll like it," David said as he perused the menu.

"Hmm," I mumbled doing the same. I had yet to eat out in this town, and was taken aback in the first place that there was actually a Chinese restaurant here.

"Hello, Detective Loki," the small, youthful Chinese waitress greeted as she approached our table.

"Hi, Mei," David replied with a smile. "This is Emma. She's new here."

"Nice to meet you, Emma. And welcome," Mei warmly said. I shyly grinned. "So, what are we ordering today? The usual?"

David's lips curled. "Yeah, Kung Po chicken for me."

Mei turned to me, and I answered, "General Tso's chicken, please." After Mei promptly walked away, I asked, "So what happened today after you dropped me off? You mentioned something about that priest."

"It turned out to be a dead end. I had already interrogated Father Dunn once, and thought he might have some more information for me the second time around. To be honest, I always thought he was suspicious. But no dice," David answered while ripping the plastic wrapped around a fortune cookie. He placed the extra one in front of me.

"Then you're back to square one," I concluded. I started to unwrap my fortune cookie, too.

"Yeah," David sheepishly said. "Oh, interesting. Before you calculate on buying, calculate on selling."

I giggled. "These fortune cookies are always so funny. Mines says, 'Listen to friends with an ear to the future,'" I answered and then swiftly ate the remains of the cookie without a care to whatever that meant.

"They're fun, though," David replied with a chortle. "What's your Chinese sign?"

"Ugh, it's the rat," I said with some disgust.

"The rat is actually revered in the East, so don't be embarrassed," David said as he grabbed a sheet detailing Chinese astrological signs. He began reading: "You're clever and quick-witted, and have an ability to accrue and hold onto items of value. You treat most of your loyal friends with an extra measure of protection and generosity. Does that sound right? I think so."

At least the holding onto items of value part was true. I was going to hold onto David no matter what. "For the most part. What's yours?" I asked as I gently snatched the sheet from his hands.

"The dog," David replied with disinterest.

"Let's see here. You're loyal, faithful and honest and always stick to your firm code of ethics. Your mantra is live right, look out for the little people, and fight injustice whenever possible. Wow, that's you all the way!"

David giggled and modestly said, "I guess."

At that instance Mei returned with our food. My mouth literally started to water as I savored the delicious aroma of it. "Thank you."

"Welcome. Enjoy," Mei said before disappearing again.

"This is delicious," I said. "Thanks for taking me here."

"Told you you'd like it."

At first we ate in utter silence. It didn't feel awkward though. I was wondering whether he put more consideration into my idea of him moving in with me. Regardless of the fact that I didn't know him for a long time, deep down I felt like I did. When I first met him I had no idea the impact he'd have on my life, yet, something clicked inside as if the missing pieces to a puzzle were coming back together. Still, I held back on asking that question again. I had learned the hard way that it was always best to give him time. There was, however, a deeper question that I had the urge to know his answer to.

"So, and I'm just asking, have you ever put much thought into being a different person? You know, like having a more average life with a family and things like that?"

Without hesitation he replied, "No."

"Okay …" His answer wasn't quite what I wanted to hear. "Why not?"

He laid his fork down and took a sip from his drink before saying anything, as if he were putting off his reply as much as possible. "I've never had an average life so I always thought I couldn't have those things."

That was confusing, I thought. "I don't get it. What does that have to do with it?"

"I just haven't thought about that. I … don't know what I want." He leered his eyes back down to his plate. He looked like he was pinned between a hard place and a rock, and I almost felt bad for him.

"You don't know or you just don't care?"

He turned his gazed upwards as if ruminating the question. "It could be both. I've never cared enough to decide, I suppose."

"Is that part of the reason your ex left you?"

He got grave now, and for a minute I regretted having asked that. "Yeah, she wanted things that I couldn't give her."

"That was years ago, though. And you still haven't changed your mind?"

"Well …," he stopped. "Maybe with the right girl … who knows. Everything is possible." He finished saying with an affectionate smirk and doting eyes.

His reply made me feel hopeful for some reason. "That's good to hear," I said without a second thought, but then I felt like I had to correct myself quickly. "I mean, to want a family, or at least hope for one, that's not a bad thing."

"And you? D-do you want a family?" He gazed at me with a slight hint of insecurity in his eyes.

"Sure, why not," I said. "I always said, 'if it happens then it happens, and if it doesn't, then it's not the end of the world.'"

"What if it is going to happen? How many kids would you like to have?"

"Not many. Probably two. My brother has five kids, so going to his house is like going to the circus," I said with a laugh.

"Five kids?!" David said in shock. "Yeah, that's a little too much. I think three at the most is good enough."

"Then we seem to be in agreement here," I coyly replied.

"You have a brother?"

"Oh, yeah, I do. He's my half brother actually. We're not that close, really, so that's why I barely talk about him. He's 10 years older than me, and I never saw much of him when I was growing up. He was everywhere but home, you know what I mean?"

"I sure do," David answered.

As we fell into another moment of silence, today's eventful happenings came back to mind. Running into Holly earlier had left me still feeling unsettled. She bothered me just by her mere presence. Surely I couldn't be the only one who thought that way about her. "David, not that I'm telling you how to do your job, but you should look into Holly. There's something very off about her."

"I know. I've considered her, too. Her nephew is missing, but that doesn't mean there's a reason to investigate her personally. I've found no connections involving her directly aside from her nephew."

"Didn't you say her husband ran off a few years ago and you thought that meant something?"

"Yeah, I think the dead guy in Father Dunn's basement is actually her husband. I figured Holly's husband discovered what the priest was doing. So, Father Dunn killed him to cover his own tracks. The autopsy report on that body could take weeks, and I can't confirm anything until that's ready. The priest isn't giving me any concrete clues, either. That chicken hawk," David angrily blurted.

"You clearly don't like priests," I uttered.

David instantly looked repulsed and shook his head in displeasement. "My time in the Huntington Boys' Home taught me that what you see is not necessarily what you get with them."

"I understand," I said lost in thought. He didn't elaborate so I left it at that, but I could take a hint about what he was referring to.

"You're right about Holly, and I still want you to watch your step around her, okay? I might not be there next time you run into her, if you do."

"Don't worry. I can take care of myself."

David chuckled, and said, "You can be naive sometimes, and too trusting."

I got kind of offended at that, but not by much. He wasn't the first person who has said that about me, after all. "Very cute, David," I playfully answered.

He responded by laughing in a flirtatious manner. The whole time I pondered his white-toothed smile in an admiring way, and thought about how rarely it was when he was this carefree and laid back. This is the side to him that I always longed to see more of.

"I was thinking," he began to say, "about your proposition."

"Yes?"

"How soon can I move in?"

*I don't own the characters Detective Loki, Holly Jones, and Father Dunn.*

Copyright © 2014

All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.


	12. Part XII: Let Me In

"So, is that it?" I asked. We were at my place and had been unpacking his stuff, which wasn't much. In fact, it looked like we were going to be able to transfer all his things to my place in one move.

He pursed his lips, and said, "I'm afraid it is. I don't own many things."

"Then it saves us from having to make too many trips," I said with a smile.

"This here is actually the last of it," David said as he put the large box on the floor and started to open it with the box cutter.

He was in front of me, and really going through with this, yet I still couldn't believe that this was happening. _He was actually going to live with me._ Even the sound of it gave me goosebumps. It was just too good to be true. I had assumed that he would never agree to it since was used to being alone and perfectly fine with it, or so I assumed.

I was taking his clothes out from the suitcase when I asked, "How did your landlord take it?"

"Very well actually. I was on a month-to-month tenancy so I had the option to leave whenever I wanted. Besides, he's an understanding man anyway."

"Well, that's good that you had a short lease."

"Yeah, it's more convenient," he remarked. "Either way, I didn't want to be tied down to one place."

"You didn't want to be tied down?" I had asked when what I really wanted to say was why he was moving in with me then.

"Uh, yeah," he said. "There was a chance that I was going to transfer to PSP. In that case, I was going to have to move."

"Call me a ditz but what's PSP?"

"Oh," he said with a snort, "Pennsylvania State Police."

A pang of worry hit me as I mulled over the idea of him moving away. "Is that transfer still a possibility?"

"No," he said with a that's-not-going-to-happen look on his face. "I turned it down."

Startled, I said, "Why? It sounded like a good opportunity for you."

He froze in mid-action, and glared at me as if I should've already known the reason for why he passed up that offer. "And leave you?"

I bashfully smirked. "I suppose that is an unwanted consequence." Suddenly, I felt a pair of arms embrace my waist as David unexpectedly sneaked up behind me and hugged me with a tight warm grip.

"I don't want to go," he whispered against my ear.

"I wouldn't let you anyway," I said as I leaned my head back onto his shoulder. I turned and affectionately kissed him with a lingering kiss. When our lips broke off, I added, "And, actually, I would've gone with you."

He flashed his lovely wide smile, and said, "You just bought this house, though. It doesn't make sense for you to move again."

"Oh, David," I started to say, "Sometimes you have to let your inhibitions go and follow your heart. That's the whole point."

I could tell he was questioning in his mind what I said from his slight grin and blinking eyes. He always followed the logic of his mind and ignored his heart, and hid whatever he felt at all costs. I wondered how different he'd be if he in turn listened to his sensibilities every once in a while. "Let's finish unpacking," he aloofly said as he resumed what he was doing before. "This place is a mess with all this stuff."

I couldn't take my eyes off him as went about his business. His sudden change of attitude was daunting and incomprehensible. Did he not agree with what I said? He wouldn't be acting so coldly if he did. If I could've done something to remedy the situation right then and there, I would have. Instead I chose to let him be for now. The truth was that I wasn't out to change or modify anything about him. But if he learned to open his heart some, his past would no longer be such a heavy burden and not a determinate factor in all he did. He couldn't go on living like this, and how could I turn a blind eye to the pain it caused me to see him like this? It was going to take a lot of effort and work, I knew, but quitting wasn't something I did well. In fact, giving up wasn't even an option.

"You can cook!" I said as I took a bite from the omelette David made. "And you know how to brew your coffee. That's an important skill to have."

"Thanks," David brightly said as he poured more coffee into his mug. He was too alert and wide-awake. I, on the other hand, still struggled to just speak coherently. "I might be working late today, so you know," David later added.  
"Okay," I said. "Speaking of that, how are you progressing on your case?"

"It's still the same old thing," he quietly said.

I looked at him with the expectation that he would say more, but he didn't. "No clue about Alex's whereabouts yet, huh?"

He nodded his head no. "I have an idea of where he could be, but I'm not 100 percent sure. I really shouldn't say anything else."

"I understand," I replied. "So, I was wondering. I've been wanting to take a trip and do something fun. Maybe we can do that this weekend? Of course, assuming you don't have anything else to do."

"What exactly did you have in mind?"

"The state fair starts this week. Maybe we can go to that? It should be relatively enjoyable, maybe."

"That's a couple of counties over," he said with a minor scoff. "I'm up for it as long as you don't mind the hour-and-a-half-long drive."

"It's better than staying here and doing nothing." I said matter of factly.

"Mhmm," he mumbled. He wasn't thrilled with the idea of going to the state fair.

"You'd rather not go, right?" I asked with some trepidation.

"It's all the same to me to be honest," he answered as he ate his food in small bites.

"Well, we can chat more later," I said as I stood up and put my dishes in the dishwasher. "I should get going. Are we still meeting for lunch?"

"Yeah. I'll text in case anything comes up, okay?"

I nodded, and gave him a small peck on the cheek. "See you later."

"Hey," he called out just before I stepped out the door.

"Yeah?"

"Love you."

That admission alone just made my entire day. "Love you, too."

Later that day I met David for lunch at the same Chinese restaurant he took me to earlier in the week. Much to my delight he was still as chipper as he was in the morning. It was always wonderful to see him in good spirits. Nonetheless, lunch went by swiftly as we had less than an hour. Seeing him in the middle of my day was still nice even if it wasn't for a long time. As awkward as it sounded, we were like any other average couple. And he was the only good thing about my life right now. I didn't need anything else really.

I hadn't heard from him for the rest of the day. I assumed that he was probably too busy with his job to check in. Either way, I didn't expect or even want him to be calling or texting every so often. But then the evening came, and there was still no sign of him. His words echoed in my thoughts as I anxiously waited for him:

_"I might be working late today, so you know."_

And so I patiently stayed up knowing that he would be bursting through that front door any minute now. However, the hours continued to pass by, and still, nothing. Not even a single message. It was getting so late that I put his dinner in the microwave and left a note over the counter. I dragged myself to the room and not only thought that he was caught up in the demanding responsibilities that came with his line of work, but also confused and somewhat disappointed that he wouldn't bother to send even a single line. There was no point in dwelling, anyway. Eventually he'd come home, I optimistically thought to myself, even if I was already unconscious.

_*** (The Following Morning)_

"Emma."

I woke up to a man's voice lowly calling out my name.

"Emma." It said again. Of course, I saw that it was David as soon as I finished rubbing my eyes and managed to clear my foggy head.

"Hey," I said in my hoarse morning voice. "When did you get in last night?" He was still fully clothed, as if he'd never switched his wardrobe when he arrived from work. That was odd.

He let out one long, smooth breath before he spoke. "Listen … I'm sorry, but I can't do this anymore."

*I don't own the character Detective Loki.*

Copyright © 2014 by CountingStars29

All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.


	13. Part XIII: Terminus

"What?!" I exclaimed. "What do you mean?" I was wide awake now that he had my full attention.

He sat still for a moment, and remained exasperatingly quiet. I desperately waited for him to say something, anything.

"David, what are you saying?" I asked again.

"This … this was a mistake," he said. He ran his hands through his hair, and I couldn't help but notice his trembling leg, all surefire signs of his discomfort and anxiety. "Me moving in … just a terrible mistake. Sorry." He stood up, and treaded out of the room, leaving me behind and speechless. This couldn't stay like this.

"Wait a minute," I said rushing after him. "Would you please tell me what's going on?"

Stopping dead in his tracks, he turned around to face me. "You're the best thing that has ever happened to me, don't get me wrong. But, I'm not ready for this. And, frankly, I don't know if I'll ever be."

"Are you breaking up with me?" A million thoughts were circling in my head as to why he would want something so beautiful to end. Was this some terrible nightmare?

Emptiness was all I saw in him from his joyless and desolate expression. He never understood that he didn't have to try so hard - that I was fine with it all exactly the way it was. "I didn't want this to end, believe me, but I can never be what you want me to be. I have to go," he said with somewhat watery eyes.

He started to walk away again, but I managed to stop him by inserting myself directly in his path. "But I didn't expect you to be anything, David. You're wrong there."

"You'll never understand," he said. There was a void in his eyes, and I could tell he was carefully choosing his words. If only I could feel whatever it was he felt and that drove him to this nonsensical decision. "I'll pick up my things later, but I have to head back to work." He kept charging ahead towards the front door, but was able to hold him back him with my hands by laying them on his chest.

"I'm not letting you go unless you explain why you're doing this."

Annoyed, he tsk-tsked and rolled his eyes. "Get out of the way."

"No." I firmly stood in place. He couldn't leave just like that, as if nothing mattered.

"Please, Emma."

I crossed my arms and nodded no. I could be stubborn, too.

In an uncalled-for move, he gently grabbed me by my shoulders and pushed me aside. I couldn't fight him back as he proved too strong, and before I could stop him he was already out the door. "David!" I shouted out as I briskly ran outside.

"I'll be back for my things," he called out from his car. Then he quickly backed out of the driveway and drove away.

"Damn it!" I yelled in frustration while I watched his car make a turn down the road. I couldn't believe this was happening. Why did he do this? And he went about it in such a cold-blooded way. I kept wondering whether it was something I did, but I couldn't think of anything. Haven't I been nothing but supportive?

I didn't realize that I was still standing in the porch until I felt something soft brush my legs. It was Ron. "Did you see that? He just walked out." Ron simple meowed back as if demanding his food. _Oh great, I'm talking to the cat._

I stepped back inside the once again empty house, a brutal reminder that I was already missing David. Maybe I was in denial, but I held steadfast to the belief that he would return in a matter of minutes. He'd apologize and say that it was only a lack of judgment. And then we could happily move on and forget this ever happened.

Yet, I went about my day without any kind of sign from him. When I got home from work I couldn't help but stare at the things he left behind. The sadness brought on by the apparent loss chewed away at me at an excruciatingly slow pace, making everything feel all the more worse. The truth was that I was still wading in disbelief as I held onto the small ray of hope that we would talk and perhaps clarify everything once he came back.

Again, and ironically just like the night before, I waited up for him. It was almost half past 10 when I saw the white light of headlights and heard the tires of a car pulling in. My breathing became erratic from my nervousness as I heard his footsteps approaching the door.

"Hey," he said after he let himself in. There was an inevitable hint of incertitude in his voice.

I didn't know what to say immediately. It wasn't like I could act normal now. I had been in this place before, and the pain I felt then and even now still rendered me speechless. If anything, I felt like an idiot for trusting again. I recalled a close friend once telling me, "Once burned, twice shy."

David stood in front of me as if expecting me to greet him back. Seeing that I didn't, he quietly said, "I'll go get my stuff."

"Don't …," I said before the words trailed off. I paused again and wondered whether I should express how I really felt. How could I not, though? "You're cruel."

He watched me with a blank stare. For a while I thought what I just said didn't phase him, either that or it hadn't sunk in yet. "I mean, is that something you do? Erase people from your life?" I continued to say.

"That's not what I'm doing here," he replied. "You're better off without me. You'll understand that in time."

"Oh, yeah?" I said in my most sarcastic tone. "Then please explain yourself because you being cryptic isn't helping me."

"Do you think I like hurting you? See, this is why I should have never got involved …" He started pacing around the room, and his blinking was out of control. Finally he stopped and went on to say, "You don't know half of what I've been through. You can't imagine what it was really like. I've seen things that no one should ever see, and I was just a kid. I've fucked up … more than once. And now I'm here and still can't be like everyone else, okay? You don't need this. You deserve better."

_What? So it's back to this again?_ "I already knew what I was getting into when I invited you into my life," I said. "We all have our issues, David. What makes you think you're the only one?"

"Tell me, have you ever met anyone who's had a life like mines? With the problems I've had, and continue to have?"

It dawned on me where he was going with this. Despite that I've told him I would support him, he must be thinking that I couldn't handle it. "I can't help you if you won't let me. And I've already told you that I didn't care about that. If I did, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

He squinted his eyes while pacing around again, and balled his fists in disappointment. "I was close to using again. I actually _wanted_ to. So close …"

"Well, you never told me. How was I supposed to know?"

"Yeah, and have you thinking I'm some sort of loser or something?"

"I don't think that …"

"I'll just end up complicating your life in the worst possible way. It's best if I stay away." As he said this he headed to the bedroom where his clothes were placed.

"I want all of it, David. Complications or not. Just stay," I implored as I followed in his footsteps.

"What if I start using again? The temptation is there in my face all the time, and it's hard to stop once you start. I can't do that to you."

"Then let me help you. We can fight this together." It seemed that he wasn't paying much attention since he continued to pack his clothes. A fit of rage overcame me, and I grabbed the clothes he held in his hands and threw them on the floor. "Stop! You're not even listening to me."

It got so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. He gaped at me with widened eyes from the shock of my violent reaction. When he finally did speak again, he said with a single-minded resolution, "It's over, Emma. We're done."

*I don't own the character Detective Loki.*

Copyright © 2014 by CountingStars29

All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.


	14. Part XIV: Amend

"You don't mean that." I struggled to get the words out as I watched him through tear-stricken eyes. I leaned against the edge of the dresser for support since I could barely remain on my feet. I couldn't feel my legs anymore, and I sensed that I was on the brink of collapsing.

"I'm so sorry." With a no-nonsense attitude, David focused his rueful blue eyes directly into mines. He wasn't joking: he really was serious about this. "I've already made up my mind."

"Do you realize what you're doing to me? You say I'm better off without you, but I'm actually better _with_ you, David," I said while he concentrated on packing up his things. "My life was so empty before I met you."

He remained quiet, and this maddened me like nothing else. Out of all his mannerisms, his silence was what I detested the most. One would've thought he was being physically chased since, once he had his things gathered, he started to walk away briskly.

"Wait, David!" I loudly shouted just before he stepped out. He came to a complete halt, and slowly turned around to face me again. "I know you won't come back once you leave. I just want you to know that if you ever change your mind, I'll still be here. I won't say no."

David stood utterly still, frozen in time, with the exception of his blinking eyes. He twisted the corner of his mouth on the right side of his face, and gradually took his gaze off of me in shame. He was the physical manifestation of sadness, but I knew very well he was going to let go of us regardless of what he was feeling.

After an ephemeral period, he simply nodded his head in acknowledgment. Then, and without giving it so much as a second thought, he walked out the door and out of my life.

*** (some time later)

"Working late again?" Heather asked as she popped her head into my cubicle. My eyes always gravitated to her big curly blonde hair, and I couldn't help but be reminded of a Pomeranian.

"I have some things I need to wrap up by today." I tried very hard to suppress any hint of annoyance at her.

"Don't stay too late. You've been doing that a lot."

"Night, Heather." She smiled and, at last, left.

_Thank goodness I have the office to myself._ I could get much more done this way. The reality was that I was overburdening myself with work on purpose just to be distracted. I welcomed all distractions, anything that would help me not think about David. Still, something would always come up that would remind me of him, and then the aching would come again, followed by the incessant stream of tears. I knew I couldn't go on like this, but maybe if I waited it out, things would get better. That was the only plan I had for now.

I hadn't heard any more from David as he never contacted me since I last saw him. A few times I would find myself picking up the phone to dial his number or send him a text, but then I'd quickly talk myself out of it. If he wanted to hear from me, he would've tried to talk to me by now. Either way, what did I have left to say that I hadn't already said?

In the eery silence, I sat there alone, and despite that I had a ton of work to get done, my mind started to wander back to David. Did I ever cross his mind as much as he did mines? What was he doing now? Where was he? _God, I miss him._ It was like he never left. His presence was constantly near.

Half an hour went by, and I hadn't got much done. From the way things were going, I wasn't going to get anything finished for that matter. I finally decided to call it a night and go home, but not before stopping by the grocery store. I had made a mental note to myself earlier to get something for dinner as my food stash was running low … again.

It had still been raining when I pulled into the store. It was always cloudy and rainy here, and I was really sick of it by now. I had been thinking about moving back to my hometown, a city where the sunshine doesn't stop and the beaches are plentiful. And now that David was no longer in the picture, I had no reason to linger anymore in this backcountry.

I stayed for a while at the entrance of the store to dry my umbrella some. It was raining so hard that my shoes and the bottom of my pants were soaked. Now I was cold and standing in a pool of rainwater. _My evening was turning out to be quite fantastic._ I was still shaking the water off the large umbrella when I heard a man's voice call my name, surprising me.

"Hi, Emma." It was none other than David. He stood there looking entirely mellow and self-assured. Meanwhile I was probably the exact opposite: a frazzled mess.

"H-Hey, David." A bizarre silence followed suit, and all I could do was ponder him: he was as attractive as ever. I must have looked like an idiot.

"It's good to see you," David said with a shy grin.

"Yes, you, too." Of course I was glad to see him. Wasn't it obvious?

"So, what have you been up to?" He was being so blasé. _Maybe it's just an act,_ I thought.

"You know, the usual. You?"

With that characteristic double blink, he replied, "Ditto." _He's got to be hating this small talk,_ I kept thinking to myself. Another odd pause transgressed between us before he spoke up again: "I haven't been able to stop thinking about you."

"Really?" I instantly asked. It was gratifying, and a relief, to know he thought of me often, too. Once again I was feeling that ever-elusive emotion that often evades me: hope. "Well, me, too."

He half-smiled, and when I realized that he wasn't going to say anything else, I went on to say: "I'd still like to see you. I mean, if it's okay with you."

"I don't know, Emma."

Dismayed at his answer, I said, "All I ask is that you reconsider. I'm not saying move in again or nothing like that. I just, you know … want you around."

David didn't immediately answer. The wait was probably only a few seconds, but it seemed like an eternity to me. Finally, he let out a long sigh, and said, "I want that, too. But, I think we should take it slow. It's just that, with all else that's going on in this case I'm working on, I felt like all these changes were coming at me at once. I got overwhelmed and almost …"

"Hey, I understand," I said after he left off at that. "No harm done, David."

"I'm used to doing things on my own, Emma. You already know that it's been a long time since I've shared so much of my time with someone else. I've sort of forgotten what it was like."

"Yeah." I comprehended that all too well, in fact. How could I forget how much of a loner he was when I first met him? "Why don't we meet up somewhere tomorrow? Like for lunch or something? It doesn't have to be at that Chinese place."

With a cunning smirk, he replied, "I actually don't mind it if we eat there again."

I didn't mind it, either. It was our favorite place to eat after all. "I'll call you around noon."

"Okay," he said now with a toothy smile, that smile that I had come to love so much. It was at that moment that his cell went off. "Shit. I have to get this."

The call didn't take long, and going by his body language, I could tell that it was important. When it was over, and in a frantic state, David straightforwardly declared, "One of the girls has been found."

*I don't own the character Detective Loki.*

Copyright © 2014

All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.


	15. Part XV: Cloudland

"That's good news, isn't it?" I asked with unsurety.

"It is, but it's only one of the girls. I still have to find the other one," David said as he cupped his hand over mouth while he fell into a contemplative state of mind.

"So, what are you going to do now?"

He remained hesitant before directly answering me. "The first step is to question the girl, assuming she is in the right condition to withstand an interrogation."

"Ugh," I exclaimed. Things never eased up for David, and the part that got to me the most was that I was unable to help him in any capacity. "Sounds like you have your work cut out for you."

He nodded his head in agreement. "I should go now, Emma. I need to get on this while it's still hot."

"I understand," I said with some sadness. We paused shortly before either of us spoke again. "So can I see you tomorrow for lunch?"

"Yeah," he replied. It was obvious that he was distracted, and I couldn't blame him for being so. His work was clearly the most important priority for him right now as it should be. "I'll text you when I can take lunch since I have no clue how my day will turn out."

"Sounds good," I said. "Well, I'll be seeing you, David."

He remained still for a short time, then, unexpectedly he approached me and stood close. While gazing directly into my eyes, he raised his hand and gently ran his thumb down the side of my face. "Remember what I told you about being careful."

As I stared into his sky blue eyes I thought that they seemed to glow, or maybe it was just me losing myself completely in them as I so often tended to do. "Don't worry about me. You have more important things to think about." I added a slight chuckle to lighten the mood.

"But you are important," he answered still gliding the tip of his thumb over my cheek.

I bashfully grinned, and trying to avoid looking like an overexcited dork, I quickly straightened my face again. I didn't really want to give him the impression that I was dying for him, even though inside I was. Over the course of these last few days I had learned the difference between living life and merely existing. You could be alive, but not actually living. "I don't want to hold you up for long. Have a good night, David."

"You, too. And call me … if you need anything," he said. The color of his friendly eyes reminded me of the bright blue of the Caribbean Sea, which was ironic because I literally felt that I was drowning in them. The not-so subtle thought crossed my mind that he was as much a part of me as the blood that flowed throughout my body - he was life itself.

"Yep," was all I said as I tried to remain casual, or at least pretend. Before departing, he kissed my forehead, and held my gaze for a brief while longer. It was evident that he was struggling as much as I was to bid farewell, and instead of feeling solace because he didn't want to say goodbye either, I felt an enormous sense of trepidation. Why did I feel as if I were about to lose him all over again?

At last, he walked away. I stayed in my place as I watched him leave. As soon as he was on the other side of the storefront door, nostalgia overcame me, the kind you feel when you're watching a loved one about to embark on a prolonged trip. And I felt abandoned all over again, like the harbor must feel when a ship sails away.

When melancholy started to set in, the tiniest part of me that was good at invocating optimism started to rise to the surface. There's always tomorrow, hope began to whisper. Indeed, it was true that David and I were set to meet up the following day, and even though he was about to come back into my life, I still couldn't believe any of it. Nothing was ever this easy or good, at least not in my world. So, with a lingering sense of wariness towards the future, I continued on with my evening.

I quickly got my groceries and within a matter of minutes I found myself back home again. This was gearing up to be another rather boring, and lonely, evening. My thoughts went back to the earlier encounter with David, and as it happened so often lately, to all the moments we had shared. Would things be different this time around if we gave it another shot? He wanted to take things slow this time, and that was all fine, but would his issues continue to hang around? At the end of the day, it was difficult to help him if he refused it, and him still latching onto the mannerisms he learned from being a loner for so long wasn't contributing in a positive way to the situation either. I wasn't going to try to change him in any case. I loved him not because he was perfect, but because he was far from it.

The sound of people's voices coming from the television helped alleviate the solitude some as I sat pensively, completely lost in thought. An hour or two must have passed by without me realizing it. I only turned to look at the time when I heard the decisive knock on the door. Who could it be and at this forsaken late hour? No one visited me, well, except for David. Could it be that, feeling too impatient to wait until the next day, he decided to drop by? Don't get your hopes up too high, I cautiously reminded myself under my breath as I stood up and walked towards the door.

Something, I didn't know what, persuaded me to stop before proceeding. I had no way of knowing for sure who was standing on the other side, and it was so late, I shouldn't blindly open the door. Instantly David's warning echoed in my mind: "Remember what I told you about being careful." I thought to look through the blinds, but when I did, I couldn't make out the figure that was standing there through the darkness. I idly recalled David's suggestion a while back to get surveillance cameras. How useful they would be in moments such as this. But now was not the time to distract myself with such notions.

My eyes wandered towards the driveway, and indeed David's car wasn't there. Whoever this was, it was not David. The person continued to knock, and each knock got louder and harder. I stood there unsure of what to do next. The knocking wouldn't stop, either. It was getting to the point that I couldn't tolerate the pounding noise anymore. They knew I was here, and they weren't going to leave until I answered them. I was going to have to face them no matter what.

Swallowing back my fears, and with my heart thudding rapidly against my chest, I moved to unlock the door and face whoever this person was. Maybe it was a neighbor or someone who lived nearby and needed some sort of assistance, I said to myself to ease my jitters. Alas, I opened the door gradually, letting it go less than halfway. I peeked my head out while steadfastly maintaining my grip on the knob in case I had to close it rapidly. "Yes?" I subtly called out.

"It's just me, Emma," I heard the woman say. I could only make out the slight silhouette of what appeared to be a short female. She looked like she was wearing glasses, and the voice sounded eerily familiar, too.

"I'm sorry?" I said still refusing to open the door all the way.

"It's Holly. Holly Jones," the woman exclaimed.

Oh great, I thought. What is she doing here? This was exactly the kind of situation that David warned me about. "Hi, Holly. May I help you with something?"

"It's funny that you should ask that because I was in the area, and wanted to check up on you. I haven't seen you in a while, not even at the grocery store. Is everything okay?"

I inwardly laughed. What did she care how I was doing? "Oh, it's all good. I was actually getting ready to go to bed. It's getting rather late, and I have to be up at 5 in the morning."

"Do you mind if I come inside? I promise not to even take up 15 minutes of your time."

Instantly an admonitory suspicion came over me. As far as I knew, there was no reason for Holly visiting me. Why was she being insistent? "May I ask why?"

"I thought we could have a small friendly chat amongst ourselves. I've been overwhelmed lately with my nephew still missing and all, and could use a shoulder to lean on. So, what do you say? Mind letting a harmless old lady in? It's getting cold out here."

I could imagine how frustrated David would be if he were here witnessing this. He didn't like the idea of Holly being around at all. However, there was a small bit of me that took pity on her. Even though there was something very creepy about her, overall she seemed entirely benign. As David once said himself, just because her nephew was a prime suspect in the missing girls case didn't mean that she was at fault, too. So I gave in and decided to let her in. "Come in," I said as I let the door slide open all the way.

With that sly grin of hers that always looked too artificial, Holly walked inside. "Thank you, dear. My, you have a cozy home," she said as she looked about her surroundings.

I keenly observed her oversized bag. Surely it must be too heavy to carry. "Would you like something to drink? Tea, perhaps?" I asked as I led her towards the kitchen.

"That would be nice," she answered. I motioned for her to sit at the table, but she politely declined. I didn't think twice about her refusal to take a seat, and went on to brew some chamomile tea for the both of us. At the end of the day she was still a guest in my house, and I had to treat her with the respect she was owed.

"So, I take it they're not having any luck with finding your nephew yet?" I asked trying to make conversation.

"None at all, sadly," she said. "It's strange."

"What is?" I asked.

"It looks like David won't be able to win this one. He's never lost a case in his career, but it doesn't look like he's having much luck this time around."

I pinched my eyebrows together in irritation at her bold comment. "He's trying hard. Maybe you just need to give it some time."

She bursted into a loud, irksome laugh. How cocky of her. "Really? Is that what you think?" Holly asked.

Her tone drastically changed and became ominous. Again that annoying proceed-with-caution vibe overtook me. "I don't know. I was just saying." I turned to her and smiled. She responded in kind, but as usual, her smile looked altogether bogus. That only added to my incertitude.

"It still doesn't make me feel any better. I wonder whether David is looking in the right place to begin with," Holly said. "You'd be surprised at how many things even the best detective can miss."

"Maybe you're right. But perhaps you're not considering the big picture," I began to say as I turned my back to her again while I set the teapot on the stove. "There's much more to this case than meets the eye."

She didn't say anything right away to my response. Could it be that I had bested her? I was walking over to the cupboard to grab our teacups when suddenly I felt a sharp pain on my shoulder. "Ow!" I cried out. When I peered down I saw that Holly was standing next to me, and was firmly holding my arm in her grip. "What are you doing?!"

Again the stabbing pain coursed through my arm. That's when I saw the needle that had been resting in my upper arm. My eyes widened in horror, and I started to panic. I tried to take the needle out of my skin, but Holly tightened her hold on me, and started to twist and bend my arm. "It's best if you don't move. The pain will only get worse if you don't hold still," Holly said with a devious smirk.

In an instant I started to feel lightheaded and my vision started to blur. The world spinned around me, and all the colors began to morph into a single blackness. "What did you give me?" I asked as I forced the words out with all my might. Utter exhaustion was beginning to take control, and the more I fought against it, the more whatever it was that Holly gave me got stronger.

"That's the last of your worries, dear. But it's harmless in the long run, I assure you," Holly answered in that evil sounding voice of hers.

It wasn't long before I started to lose my hearing, too. Holly's voice got deeper until she sounded like a recording being slowed down. My physical strength left my body completely, and I was no longer able to remain standing. Not being able to see, hear or move at all, I collapsed onto the floor and into oblivion.

*I don't own the characters Detective Loki and Holly Jones.*

Copyright © 2014

All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.


	16. Part XVI: Sequestration

**DAVID:**

"Yeah, I'm on my way to the hospital," I spoke over the phone as I drove through the night rainfall.

"Approach the victim with extreme care, you hear me. Now's not the time to get rough on a sedated 7-year-old," the captain said on the other line.

"Understood," was all I said before I pressed the end button. It ticked me off that the captain still treated me like the naive adolescent I used to be when he first met me, but in the end it was always better to bite my tongue. He helped me in a number of ways that I could never finish repaying him back for, so I owed him my utmost respect despite how much he could annoy me sometimes.

As I glared through the dense pouring rain, all I kept thinking about was Emma.

_Emma._

Just the sound of her name made me feel alive again. Running into her was the best thing that could happen to me, but then again, seeing the one thing I couldn't have no matter how close I was to it was something that I hated no matter how old and mature I was. Life had a strange way of dangling the carrot. A sarcastic chortle escaped my mouth as I thought over the concept of life … my life. It definitely had a habit of screwing me over all the time.

Nonetheless, I was going to give it another go with Emma. Nothing else mattered to me but her. If only I could be perfect for her, be the man she needs. She was one of a kind, and I didn't want to lose her. Just knowing that she was there gave me a reason to wake up each and every day. Still, I was putting her in harm's way just by being with her.

Here I was a recovering drug addict trying to be the fit and proper man for a woman who deserved the world. What a ripoff. I always knew that the moment I started using again, which was a fine line I could easily cross, would be when I would lose Emma forever. She wouldn't be able to handle it even though she says she could._ You don't deserve her David,_ my conscious kept telling me. _She's too good for a guy the likes of you. Let's face it. You'll never change. Once an addict, always an addict. You're setting your standards too high this time._

Ignoring that blabby inner voice I drove on until I finally reached the hospital where I was met with an uproarious commotion. Everyone was shouting and running about like they were trying to escape from something or someone. "What's going on?" I asked the first nurse I could get a hold of.

"It's Dover … the missing girl's father. He's gone haywire after talking to Joy, and is trying to leave the hospital. Some of the male nurses are trying to hold him back …"

That's when I saw Keller run past down the hallway followed by a string of men in white who I presumed were the aforementioned nurses. "Mr. Dover! Dover!" I shouted but to no avail. He kept running as fast as he could in the opposite direction. I instinctively took off after Keller, and at the same time I pulled out my cell when I realized I wouldn't be able to pull this off on my own: "This is 1340 requesting backup … " I was already outside when I finished barking my orders into the phone, but Keller had already taken off in his truck. _Fuck!_

I gunned for my car and slammed on the gas as I went after him. He was already out of my sight, but I knew exactly where he was heading. "I know where you're going," I angrily repeated out loud. Another one of my bad habits: I always talked to myself when no one was around.

With each turn, I remained focused on only one goal, and that was to stop Keller dead in his tracks. Whatever he was up to, and I had a fairly good idea what it was, I was going to make sure he wouldn't see his plans through. That fucker.

**EMMA:**

I was surrounded by utter darkness when I awoke. Where am I? What is happening to me? I couldn't see anything. Trying to shake off the heavy grogginess that covered me like a cloak, I started to feel my way around on the floor. Instantly I recognized the roughness of the carpet fibers rubbing against the skin of my forearms. So I'm inside a house. I had to find a way out here.

Trying with all my might to not succumb to fearfulness, I gradually stood up and firmly planted my feet. I instantly became lightheaded. How long was I out for? I intended to glide my hands along the wall to feel my way to a window or door, but I couldn't move them despite my best efforts. To worsen my misfortune, my hands were tied together, and there was nothing I could do to loosen them. "Shit!" I heard myself cursing, which was something I almost never did._ Nothing was ever easy_, I thought again.

At least I didn't feel horribly drugged up anymore. From what I could tell, all of my senses had returned to me. The fetid stench of the room where I was in was the first thing I noticed. This place, whatever it was, reeked like a gym even though it was obviously not one. Sweat and old socks were what came to mind. I was breathing loudly and haphazardly by now as I thought about my situation more deeply. _I'm completely SOL._

_Calm down._ Maybe if I listened for certain noises I could pinpoint more or less where I was. And if I knew the location, I could help David find me, or so that was the plan. When I was finally able to slow down my breathing to a normal pace, I tuned in for whatever was going on outside. It felt like eternity, but only an ominous silence greeted me back. As far as I could tell, I was in a remote area, and no one was here but me. I was alone.

I started to panic all over again. What can I do now? All I could do was think of David. If I could just call him, but the last place I had seen my cell phone was on my coffee what made me think my abductor wouldn't check first to see if there was a cell phone on me? Not only was I a terrified and nervous wreck, but also my ability to think clearly and remain logical had totally escaped me. _Great._ Now I can't rely on myself when I'm all I have right now.

It's funny, but when one feels as if they've lost everything and can't get back some of their old life or like when one is at the end of the line and heading for the worst, there's an ironic sense of freedom that comes alongside all that disappointment. Like a projector, Brad Pitt's image fixed itself to the forefront of my mind, specifically his line in "Fight Club": "It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything." I laughed and laughed and laughed as I mulled over that saying. Here I was: alone in a cold, dark room inside a house that could be situated anywhere, and I was doing nothing productive except laughing myself silly. _Oh my God, I'm going crazy._

I quickly got recomposed myself and went grave again. This new demeanor actually did little to improve my mood, and it only served to trick me into thinking that I had my act together. But it was all I could do for now. For the remainder of this journey to an unknown destination, I had nothing else to do but to remain calm and quiet, but above all, patient. At some point, my captor would have to come for me. Holly couldn't leave me forever. Or could she? A cold shudder coursed quickly through my back and extremities, making me tremble uncontrollably. It pained me to guess what she would do to me after coming back to retrieve me. Would she kill me or just leave me helplessly hanging here? What would be the better option anyway? I shook my head in disgust as I attempted to erase the thought from my mind. When I saw that my efforts didn't pay, I started to envision the image of Holly storming through the door to get me burning up and being destroyed like a piece of paper when held to a flame. When nothing else worked to stop me from thinking about something unpleasant, pretending that I was burning up that imagined memory helped at times to make it go away.

I creeped down towards the carpeted floor, and sat down with my back against the wall and my legs bent upward so I could rest my chin on my knees. Anyone would think that I've totally given up by merely observing me, but I wasn't planning on going down without a fight. If I was going to go down anyway, I might as well give Holly a run for her money before I do so.

Sitting in the darkness must have set me up for it, but I suddenly found myself dozing off again. Like a boat fighting against the sea's current, I tried to resist the overwhelming urge to sleep. However, I was having no luck at all. Once more I dove deeper and allowed myself to be taken into the gentle arms of unconsciousness.

There was no way to tell how much time must have passed while I slept my trepidations away. I just knew that when I awoke back to the current bitterness of my life, I was met with a furious middle-aged woman with gigantic eyeglasses and frizzy white hair as she stood over me, and glared down at me with the most sinister expression I've ever seen on a human.

**DAVID:**

"So you want me to go to his aunt's house to let her know we've found Alex?" I asked the captain. I still had to find Keller, and couldn't believe he wanted me to waste my time with Holly. It wasn't like she was going to appreciate my efforts in finding her nephew anyway.

"Yes, son, I want the aunt to know of our progress as soon as possible. We need to keep as many people as happy as we can, okay? I can't have more shit blowing up in this case."

I let out a heavy sigh before answering with a terse, "Okay." The captain stared into my eyes anxiously, and I took the hint that he was expecting me to act out on his orders straightaway. "Alright, I'm going now," I confirmed while I started to walk away from the scene of the crime.

I had been wrong earlier in my assumption that Keller was coming here to the building that his dead father had left him. From the beginning, going by his strangely violent behavior especially toward figures of authority, I suspected Keller himself of kidnapping the girls even if one of them was his own daughter. Moreover, I had an inkling that he'd taken Alex, too, in order to cover up his tracks and have everyone fooled into thinking this was all the boy's doing.

But there wasn't a Keller here in this decrepit apartment building, nor were there any girls, but there was an Alex. As I scoped the place, it didn't take long to find Alex actually. The poor boy was screaming his lungs out when I discovered him holed up in a shower torture chamber of sorts that, obviously, Keller had made. Yeah, it was shocking to find a live person in such horrid conditions, but it didn't surprise me that Keller would do something like this. I had seen it coming all along.

As I stepped outside into the crisp night air that smelled of that soothing after-the-rain scent that I loved, I automatically pulled out my phone and dialed Emma's number. Even though I was slated to meet with her tomorrow, I was still anxious. She was like a ghost that followed me everywhere, and I had to hear her voice one more time before calling it a night.

_One ring … two rings … three rings … voicemail_

I didn't bother to leave a voice message. Perhaps she was already in bed. I checked my watch and saw that it wasn't as late as I thought. She should still be up by now.

_Emma, I wanted to wish you a good night. Hope everything is okay. Please call me no matter how late it is. -D._

My heart seemed to have skipped a beat after I sent her that text. I hope she wouldn't think I was being too overprotective. Nah, maybe not. She should know to expect that from someone like me. Anticipating for her to answer my text within seconds as she normally did, I sat still in my car waiting for her response before heading off to Holly's.

When I saw that not one, not two, but 10 minutes went by with no feedback from Emma, I immediately got worried. This was so uncharacteristic of her. Feeling my apprehension levels skyrocket, I turned on the ignition and started driving towards Emma's place. She was the only person in this world I really cared and stressed about. I just had to know whether she was doing okay.

Right away I noticed that all the lights of her house were turned on, yet, I saw no movement inside. She never left every single light on like that. As I pulled into her driveway and parked behind her small compact car, I could see that the front door was left ajar. This was highly unusual, especially for Emma. Sirens went off in my head, and in that instance I pulled out my gun.

"Emma?" I called out while I stood before the opened door before stepping inside. No response. "Emma?" Not even letting seconds go by, I proceeded to step inside the house. "It's David. Emma?" The house was so quiet that you could hear your own heart beating.

Using extreme caution I scoped out the place. Everything so far appeared to be in order, until I got to the kitchen. Pieces of broken teacups were scattered about the floor as if a big fight had ensued. I noticed a small red light from the corner of my eye and saw that the stove was still turned to on. I quickly turned the knob to the off position while the thought that it was sheer luck that the house didn't catch on fire crossed my mind. I observed the empty teapot sitting adjacent to the stove together with two unopened packs of chamomile tea.

Emma was making tea for somebody else. She wasn't alone when whatever happened here occurred, and whoever she was with took her. No, this couldn't be happening, not to Emma of all people.

_My Emma._

My breath left me entirely, and I broke out in a profuse sweat as I suddenly realized that Emma could by now be dead.

*I don't own the characters Detective Loki and Holly Jones.*

Copyright © 2014

All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.


	17. Part XVII: Epiphany

**EMMA**

"Get up," Holly demanded while grabbing me by my elbow and pulling me upwards from my seat on the floor. "It's time for breakfast."

"I'm not hungry," I shouted back as I resisted her.

"Oh you're going to eat whether you like or not," Holly said jerking my arm. I wimped from the pain of her tugging sharply at my arm and had no choice but to stand up like she wanted. She could've broken my arm, and what good would it do me to have a broken arm?

"All right, all right," I said getting back on my feet. "You can let go now."

"Good girl," she said with a self-satisfactory smile that was suggestive of her wayward plans. "Now move on ahead. Have to keep my eye on you." With that she motioned for me to walk on ahead of her.

I closely examined all of my surroundings to familiarize myself with the environment. The walls of the house, which was evidently small at probably no more than 1,100 square feet, consisted entirely of wood paneling, and the entire floor was carpeted. I was walking down a hallway when I paused and turned to her. "The dining room is straight down ahead," Holly objectively said and pointed down the hall. Obligingly, I continued on. Must this be what a prisoner feels when heading to death roll?

A tiny dining area to the left with a circular table and chairs met us, and across from that to the right was a living room area with nothing but a couch, a cushioned chair, and an old-fashioned television set. I took my seat at the table where my breakfast was already laid out before me. My eyes immediately fixated themselves on the bacon and eggs, and that's when I heard the sounds of the painful hunger pangs coming from my stomach. I hadn't realized how hungry I was until I saw the sight of food. The logic of my mind let me know that I shouldn't even think of trying this. What if she altered the food somehow? However, my body wasn't so subtle about letting me know that it needed refueling. Hunger was first and foremost a traitor. I held up my tied hands up to Holly. "Please," I added with a straight face.

"Oh right," Holly said as she went to loosen my hands, but then suddenly froze mid-action. "On second thought, I think it would be best if I fed you. I can't trust you."

All too annoyed, I tsk-tsked and replied, "I'm a grown woman. I can feed myself."

"Don't you think I know that?" Holly answered as she took her place next to me. "But I need to assure myself that you won't try anything."

_Well there goes plan A,_ I thought to myself. Holly was proving to be a very astute woman, and I obviously underestimated her. I remained complacently silent.

"I see you don't have any further objections," Holly said as she gathered the fork. "Now be obedient and eat up."

As she proceeded to literally feed me my breakfast, albeit against my will, I kept thinking of how absurd all this was. The whole situation was deplorable and ridiculous. That I was so helpless was what bothered me the most, and how and why I got into this in the first place didn't make any kind of sense. I sank deeper into the pervasive melancholy that came with the hopelessness of this dilemma as I thought of the thinning number of options remaining to get out of this mess.

The only thing that gave me happiness and relief was the memory of David. Instantly a mental picture conjured itself in my mind of his quirky and shy smile and those enigmatic big blue eyes of his that sheltered his most heavyhearted secrets. _David, if only I could have told you how much I love you._ But inside me a storm was brewing. Anger entered and made its home since deep down I was well aware that time was running out, and I would most likely never see David again. But I also knew that I had to be strong for his sake. As my thoughts turned back to the present, I threw all my inhibitions to the wind and bluntly asked Holly, "So, you have Anna, don't you? Where is she?"

**DAVID**

"She has dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes and is about 5 feet 7 inches tall … no history of drug abuse or mental illness … a 30-year-old woman …" I kept transmitting Emma's stats over the phone to file a missing person report. There was no point in waiting as it was obvious from the scene at her house that she had been abducted. Although I couldn't straight make any accusations, my gut let me know who was the culprit.

But why would Keller Dover abduct Emma? Did he too know of my relationship with Emma? And, most importantly, where was he keeping Emma if she wasn't at his dead father's building? However, there was something odd about the entire situation. I was overlooking something, and I knew it. I just had to slow down and take the time to map out all the pieces to see how they fit together.

In the meantime I stayed put at Emma's house for the other police officers and the CSI unit to arrive and investigate the scene of the crime. I remained inside while trying my best to not touch or alter any potential evidence, such as the broken tea cups and the unopened tea bags. If we were lucky, the perpetrator's fingerprints would be somewhere on the cups or maybe even on a table somewhere. Either way, nothing could be ascertained until the CSI unit finished with their analyses of the evidence, and the final report of their findings could take a long time in getting back to me. My hands started to tremble uncontrollably as I realized that this was time that I couldn't afford to let pass while Emma went missing. Anything could happen, and everything mattered.

_So now I have two people to look for and one of them is a child,_ I thought to myself with a deep sigh that did little to relieve me. And one of them is the love of my life-the kind of love that I'll probably never be able to find again. The saying "there are plenty of fish in the sea" is a load of crock. The sheer truth was that Emma was unique: a diamond in the rough. There was no one like her out there.

I had constantly looked for Emma in the faces of all the strangers I ran into during our time apart from each other. She was always on my mind, and at night all my dreams were of her. At the end of the day, I wouldn't know how I could handle losing her forever. Despite the stream of disappointments that my life had been, I had managed to hold onto my sanity. However, the moment that I knew I'd never see Emma for good would be when I would go absolutely insane. This I knew all too well.

When the CSI unit finally arrived they quickly did what they had to do. They were in and out of Emma's house within a couple of hours. "We can expedite the fingerprint background check and have the results within 48 hours," the lead crime scene investigator was saying when she interrupted my thoughts. She was gathering her things in her bag before leaving.

"Okay. Thank you," I answered half paying attention.

"Detective Loki," she began to say, "Are you personally connected to the victim?"

I froze and let my mouth open to say something and when I saw that I really hadn't much to say I promptly shut it again.

She noticed my reluctance and added: "It's fine if you don't want to answer. Whatever the situation is, just have faith that everything will turn out fine."

"Yeah, pray for the best, prepare for the worst, right," I immediately replied.

She gave a close-mouthed smiled, nodded her head in acknowledgment then walked out. I watched on as I stood still in the same place while everyone left. When I was finally alone all I could do was let my eyes linger over Emma's belongings, and imagine the last time she touched each and every one of them. _Get it together David. Don't put the cart before the horse and assume she's already gone forever._

Despite my small pep talk of encouragement, my eyes began to water. I instantly went for a paper towel to wipe away the newly forming tears. I didn't do crying well. That's when, as if by a stroke of luck, my attention was diverted to my phone as it vibrated in my back pocket.

_You gone to Holly Jones' yet to let her know about Alex?_ Read the text from the captain.

_Nope not yet. I was reporting a new kidnap victim. Will brief you on details post-haste after I go to Holly's._ I typed back.

_Call it a night after you do that, kid. We can talk tomorrow. You need your rest._ Answered the captain.

Under normal circumstances his reply would have made me feel alleviated. After all, I was being asked to take a break, even if it was a short one, and that never happened in my line of work. But tonight everything was different. The uneasy state of mind I've been in since discovering Emma's disappearance wouldn't be assuaged until I had her in front of me again, and alive and well.

Determined to wrap up with today's obligations, I did a run-through and securely locked all the windows and doors of Emma's house before heading out to Holly's. It was funny, but it seemed that I arrived at Holly's place within a matter of minutes. I couldn't even remember the drive. I was operating robotically on automatic to better stifle the despair I had been feeling all evening.

"Mrs. Jones," I called out as I impatiently pounded on the door. After all, this visit was, for the most part, a petty use of my time. After a minute or two passed, no one came to answer. I could tell Holly was home though from the lights that were turned on inside. "Damn it," I cursed.

I knocked some more and waited. Still no answer. I anxiously paced a few times on her doorsteps. "Fuck it." I was going to let myself in. I was getting ready to pounce on the door when I hesitated and thought to check it first. It's been of my experience that it never happened, but you never know, the door might just already be open.

And what a surprise: Holly had indeed left her front door open. I cautiously walked inside, keenly observing everything with an eagle eye. People around here were known to carry big guns and the last thing I needed was to have Holly running at me with a huge shotgun in hand.

The dwelling was uncomfortably quiet, and Holly was nowhere in sight. The same off kilter sensation I felt when I entered Emma's house earlier started to settle in again. First Emma was nowhere in sight, and now so was Holly. This was unusually bizarre, and most of all, suspicious.

As I continued to walk about, I entered the living room and my line of sight went straight to a displayed set of family pictures. I got closer and specifically noticed a picture of a man who looked like a hippie with shoulder length hair that was pulled back. He was smiling slightly like he was camera shy. This must be Holly's husband who also mysteriously disappeared except that it happened five years ago.

Not thinking twice I picked up the framed photograph and inspected it carefully. My eyes glossed over his ambivalent facial expression, then next over to the necklace he was wearing. That's when I saw it: a sign that I had somehow and foolishly missed before and was now glaring at me like a bright red stop light. How in the world had I not noticed this? And yet, there it was, laying perfectly still on a permanent image waiting to be discovered like a dormant treasure at the bottom of the ocean. Holly's husband was wearing the same maze pendant as the dead man in Father Dunn's basement.

*I don't own the characters Detective Loki and Holly Jones.*

Copyright © 2014

All rights reserved.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.


	18. Part XVIII: Finis

DAVID:

I stood there wading in the utter shock of the realization that I had totally missed this vital clue before. Recalling the results from the autopsy report, the corpse in Father Dunn's basement had been deceased for 3-5 years. How did I not connect the two when Holly told me her husband had been missing for the last 5 years? How could I be so stupid? This was a terrible oversight.

Of course, now the tables were turned and Holly was as much a part of the suspect pool as Dover himself. "... he said he was waging a war with God," Father Dunn had said about the dead man. At the time I didn't think anything of it, but that statement was essential to this case. I scrunched my eyebrows in disappointment from having written off so many hints: I hated failing at anything, and this was a massive fail of the most apathetic kind.

My imagination started to play tricks on me as the idea that maybe Holly and Dover were in cahoots crossed my mind. No, that couldn't be right. It didn't feel right, and in this line of business, you always had to default to your gut feeling. Always.

If anything, getting to Holly was becoming direly important. I had a reason to interrogate her, besides only updating her on Alex's improving situation. But where was she? The house continued to grow disturbingly quiet. However, somehow I could feel another presence in my midst. I wasn't prone to believing in ghosts or the supernatural altogether, but one could say this was the kind of feeling you get when you're sleeping and can sense that you're being watched, but when you open your eyes, there's no one there.

In my standard modus operandi, I walked about the small home while holding my gun out in front of me. I remained silent as I crept about, listening attentively for even the most minute of sounds. Making my way towards the darkened hallway, I guessed that the shut doors must be the bedrooms. Suddenly and much to my luck, I started to hear a rustling sound, as if something were being dragged across the floor. The noise seemed to be emanating from the last door to the right. I carefully and noiselessly approached the end of the hallway, and listened attentively as the rustling got louder, indicating that I was closer to the source of it. Something was going on in that room.

EMMA:

Although I didn't think she would, Holly had actually admitted that she was holding Anna hostage when I had asked her about the little girl's whereabouts. I wasn't surprised, a bit shocked, but it wasn't news to me. After taking me too, I knew she had to have Anna somewhere in this decrepit, unearthly house.

Holly had now put me in a different room of the house than the one I was in before. "You better get comfy. You'll have company in here," Holly had said when she took me there. Once she opened the door with her key (for all the doors were locked), she shoved me inside and locked the door behind her, shutting us inside the room. She then proceeded to rewrap my hands with yet another layer of duct tape. This time she tied my feet together as well with the same duct tape.

"You don't have to do that. It's not like I'm going to run away," I said sarcastically. Holly laughed sinisterly. It was utterly dark in the room, with the only source of light being the moon outside. I started to scrutinize my surroundings as I looked for Anna, and that's when I found her. She was laying, untied, on the floor and appeared to be unconscious. There was a coloring book of sorts next to her along with a few crayons. "Oh my God," I mumbled.

"Meet Anna, your new roommate," Holly replied as she walked me over to Anna.

"What have you done to her?" I whispered as tears started rolling down my cheeks. I felt all too sorry for what was happening to this little girl. More sorry than I was for my own self. That's when I realized that Anna now only had me to protect her.

"She's nothing but fast asleep. No need to worry. As for you," Holly said pushing me down to the floor. I fell on my backside with a loud thud. "You need to relax." I saw Holly holding a needle in her hand, and she was aiming straight for my arm. I tried to creep back away from her reach, but it was all in vain. With both my hands and feet tied, I could barely move. The pinch was painful and deep, but soon all the pain gave way to a numbing pitch black darkness.

DAVID:

I inched my way towards the closed door, and very quietly wrapped the palm of my hand around the door knob and twisted it. It was indeed locked. But the sound was getting louder now, and had quickened its pace. Whatever was making that noise was gathering momentum. Holly nor anyone else were nowhere in sight, however, it was plain to see that someone was in that room. There was no doubt about it.

Not even thinking twice about it, I took a few steps back, then hurled my body full force against the shut door. The door instantly gave way at the sudden impact of the weight of my body hitting it at full speed. As soon as I was inside I pointed my gun straight ahead. I was met with a hideous scene being played out right in front of me.

Holly was leaning over a woman's body and was pricking the woman with a needle. "Freeze," I shouted loudly. Realizing that she had been caught, Holly gradually pulled herself up until she was standing straight with her back towards me. "Drop everything you have in your hands, and turn around to face me!" But she didn't listen. "I'm not going to give you second chances here, Holly. Do as I say, now!"

I could hear the sound of glass shuddering apart as it hit the floor. It must have been the needle she'd been using on the woman, who was now laying flat on her back and wasn't moving, something which deeply concerned me. Next to the woman lay another female, a small child. "Anna," I lowly called out.

"That's right, Detective Loki," Holly exclaimed as she turned around. I couldn't really see through the dark, but could tell there was something in her hand.

"I told you to drop everything!" I yelled as I inched my way closer to her. Before I knew it, a loud bang rang through the room, and I felt a searing pain in my head as I inched back out of the room. There was blood where I rubbed the palm of my hand against the source of the pain. Damn it, she shot me! I instantly aimed my gun and fired at Holly. There was nothing else I could do in that moment to protect both the two victims in that room as well as myself.

Holly quickly fell to the floor and a pool of blood rapidly spread around her. Now she too wasn't moving at all. Ever so carefully I honed in on her body. She could still be alive after all. "Don't move," I repeated, "Or I will shoot again." But, no, Holly didn't even lift a finger. I proceeded to check her vital signs and saw that I had shot her in the middle of her chest. She should be dead. My suspicions were confirmed after I checked her pulse and realized that she didn't have one.

My immediate concern was now the safety hood of the two victims. "Anna!" I yelped, but the little girl was completely unconscious. I put my ear next to her mouth and was relieved to find her still breathing, albeit very shallowly. "Don't worry, Anna. You're safe now."

Next, I went to check in on the other victim. It was too dark to make out her facial features, but somehow she seemed familiar to me. It was the way she smelled, a sweet fragrance that I had encountered so many times before. The woman started to moan once I cradled her in my arms. She was still alive! "I'm a cop. I'm going to get you out of here," I said. She seemed to be trying to say something back to me, but only muffled sounds came out of her. All too soon I realized that she had her mouth covered in duct tape.

"I'm going to take this off of you, OK?" I said as a warning. There was really no painless way to remove tape off of skin, unless you take it off really quickly. Which was exactly what I did. "Sorry."

"David, it's me," she quietly said. "It's Emma."

"Emma" I shouted joyfully as I held her closer to me. Despite my bleeding head, I couldn't resist the urge to kiss her.

"You came for me," she answered with what looked like a small smile.

"I love you," was all I could manage to say. "You don't know how happy I am that you're still alive."

"Anna," Emma stated. "Get her to the hospital. We don't have time to waste." She grunted as if she were in great pain as she turned her head to look at Anna.

"You both have to see a doctor. Can you walk?"

"My feet are tied," Emma answered.

"That's what pocket knives are for," I answered as I went for my knife and proceeded to cut her loose. I also cut off the tape around her hands. Then I helped her to stand on her feet.

"I got this," Emma said managing to stand on her own now. "Take her."

Moving fast, I gathered Anna in my arms to carry her to my car. "You sure you can walk? I don't know what that witch gave you." Emma gradually put one foot in front of the other, and she hissed in pain the whole time, but seemed to be able to walk fine as long as she moved slowly. "Here," I said as I lifted Anna over my shoulder and gave Emma my arm to hold onto for support.

We gradually made it out to the front lawn and to my car, where I proceeded to lay Anna gently across the back seat. I opened the passenger door for Emma, but she nodded no. "I'm sitting with her."

I grinned in agreement and moved to the driver's seat. "Watch over her," I said as I put on the siren and drove fast into the night.

********* Two days later ********

"Morning, love," I whispered into Emma's ear as I roused her.

"David," she answered through a broken voice. She smiled the sweetest smile I had ever seen.

"They're releasing you today," I said. "How are you feeling?"

"Great," Emma answered. "I am thirsty though. How's Anna?"

"She's still weak, but is conscious and will be just fine. Turns out what Holly was giving you both was a sedative of sorts, you know, to keep you asleep." I said gathering Emma's hand into mines.

Emma shook her head in disgust. "So evil. Good thing you took care of her."

"Yeah well, I would've preferred to arrest her so she could pay her dues in prison. But nothing is ever simple. As long as I have you …," my words trailed away when I leaned in and kissed her.

"She shot you though. How are you doing?" Emma asked as she raised her hand to run it over the wound on my head.

I giggled. Always the worrier, this one. "The bullet just grazed the skin there. It was nothing."

Emma grinned sideways and sat up straighter in the bed. "So when I can leave? I hate hospitals."

"Soon enough," I said. It was time for me to make my move, and I put my hand in my pocket. My nerves got the best of me, but I was determined to go through with this either way. If I could have picked a better setting, it would have been at the local park or even the Chinese restaurant that we frequented, but I was so anxious that I couldn't postpone it anymore. She was the one, and I was never, ever losing her again.

"Emma," I said gathering her left hand in mines.

"Yes?" She answered with suspicion.

"I know I can be difficult. But I'm in love with you, and will always love you. You're everything." I remained silent as I pondered what to say next. It's not like I had rehearsed this.

"What's going on?" Emma asked.

Just do it, my inner voice said. Next I took the ring out of my pocket and gently put it on her finger. "Will you marry me?"

She stared at the ring with a look of complete disbelief on her face. What was she thinking? I was dying to know.

"Yes, David, of course I will marry you."

The End


	19. Epilogue

******A month later******

EMMA:

David had received so much notoriety after having saved Anna and me that the FBI offered him a position at their headquarters in Washington, D.C. For my sake he didn't want to take it initially, but I convinced him nonetheless. I was going to put my house up on the market and move to D.C. with him. At that point I was willing to do anything and everything for him, no matter how much I had to compromise. Besides, after all that went down, there was no way we could both keep living in the same town.

"Is that the last of it?" David asked as he watched the movers haul away an oversized cardboard box.

"That sure is," I said in relief. No matter how many times I did it, moving was always an overbearing chore.

David wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer to him. "So you still sure you want to do this?" His demeanor was relaxed, so I assumed that the question must have been a joke.

"As sure as I can ever be," I said to humor him as we kissed. We could hear the movers grunting at our PDA, but could care less. "I have something to tell you."

"OK," David said with a shy smirk.

"I don't know how else to say this, so here it goes. I'm pregnant."


End file.
